


Rebel of Sky City

by shielddrake42



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Minecraft Story Mode
Genre: Aiden is a Jerk, Alternate Universe, Best Friend Petra, Don't worry Reuben doesn't die, F/M, Isa is overly protective but loving, Jesse keeps a lot of secrets, Lukas is a bit oblivious, Milo is the best dad ever, Minecraft Story Mode Countdown, Minecraft: Story Mode, Olivia and Axel are here too, Petra is protective, Sky City AU, Sky City!Jesse, Yay for Reuben!, mcsmcountdown, more tags as I think of them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2018-11-28 20:13:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 102,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11425335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shielddrake42/pseuds/shielddrake42
Summary: Jesse has always been isolated, kept in Sky City's palace by her mother, The Founder. When she finally decides to go against her mother's wishes and sneaks out, she meets Lukas, who helps her learn more about the world outside her palace prison than she could ever imagine.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I’m joining in on the Countdown to 2 for Minecraft Story Mode. I didn’t write anything for the first four days (I’m not so good at oneshots) but I absolutely had to do something for Episode 5. It’s my favorite! This will be a somewhat longer story (not sure how long), so it will definitely go beyond the countdown. This is just the first chapter.
> 
> This is based on a Sky City AU by sky-city-princess, so who was so wonderfully kind to let me use this premise, and whose Tumblr can be found at https://sky-city-princess.tumblr.com. Definitely go check it out!

Jesse cringed as her stomach rumbled for the second time in half an hour. Her quill paused as she carefully glanced up at her tutor, wondering if he heard it this time. Ivor was busy messing with a few potion recipes, but his smirk told her that her stomach could be heard from multiple blocks away.

 

“Sounds like a little piggy’s getting hungry.”

 

Jesse glared up at him. “Are you calling me fat?”

 

“Not at all.” Ivor still didn’t look up from his work. "Finish your test and then we can have lunch."

 

"Tests suck," Jesse complained as she started working again. "It's not like I'm going to get to use these recipes anytime soon. Mother won't let me."

 

"Don't remind me," Ivor complained, his long nose crinkling in annoyance as he slapped the potion recipe onto the finished pile. “I still have to wait another week before The Founder will be available to supervise my brewing."

 

She chuckled. "Don’t know why. It's not like you're going to blow anything up. You're too good at potions, Ivor."

 

The royal brewer let himself smile at that comment.

 

"Please no talking during tests, Young Miss." This lighter voice belonged to Reginald, the Captain of the Guard of Sky City. He stood behind Jesse by the door leading out of the classroom. "You need to focus."

 

"Sorry."

 

Jesse sighed, glancing up at the iron blocks on the ceiling before she went back to finish up the recipe for bread. She then moved on to the next, which was supposed to be mushroom soup. This test was really more of a review than anything. Jesse had most of these memorized ages ago and she was confident she could craft any of these blindfolded, if she were ever actually given the items to do so. But according to her mother, the future leader of Sky City was never to forget a recipe. The people were going to depend on her for both resources and already crafted items, so she needed to know these by heart.

 

She finished the mushroom soup recipe and continued on to the last one, which was for a pickaxe. This one was easy. Two sticks in the bottom middle and exact middle, and then three pieces of material along the top tow (in this case, she was using stone). She put the completed recipe in the pile with the rest and put down her quill.

 

"Done!" Jesse declared. "Finally."

 

Ivor looked at her and then up at the clock on the wall. "Well, that was faster than last time. You can probably have a longer lunch this time before the afternoon test. I'll grade these in the meantime, see if your speed compromised the quality of your recipes.”

 

Jesse groaned, not only at the Ivor’s comments, but at the fact that the practical exam would be that afternoon. She was expected to actually craft the items, but that wasn’t so bad. What was annoying was that she was only allowed to craft under the direct supervision of her mother.

 

"Did I hear that right?" Speaking of whom, Jesse turned to see her mother, Isa, more commonly known as The Founder, stepping through the door into the classroom. "You finished in record time?"

 

"That's what I said, Founder," Ivor replied, picking up the pile of recipes. "Jesse's getting faster and faster all the time."

 

Isa smiled at her daughter. "That's good to hear. Perhaps you will have lunch with me before your practical?"

 

"Yeah, I'd like that," Jesse answered as she stood from her chair.

 

Jesse, Isa, and Reginald left Ivor to his own devices as they headed for the dining room in Sky City's palace. Jesse kept her pace behind her mother while Reginald walked behind both of them, always watching their backs. If Reginald wasn’t on guard duty for The Founder, he was doing so for Jesse instead. Very rarely was a different guard assigned to her, much to her irritation. It wasn’t as though Jesse didn’t like Reginald—far from it—but it would be nice to talk to someone else for once.

 

As they passed by the windows, Jesse glanced out to look over Sky City proper. It was a sizable city on an even more sizable piece of floating land. According to her history books, her mother had built outwards to include several of the smaller islands into the city foundation, but that was many years ago, before Isa became too busy with citizens' requests to spend time expanding the city limits.

 

With the Eversource providing anything the city could need, most of the buildings were made of iron blocks and stone, with the occasional wood to make up entrances, borders and stairs. It was a sparkling, clean city, and Jesse's eyes were nearly blinded by the reflected luster from the sun. She couldn’t help but chuckle at the various egg motifs scattered around the city, from banners to the buildings themselves.

 

 _Leave it to Mother to honor Benedict even if she has to stay in the basement,_ Jesse thought. _Mother can be so silly._

 

The citizens almost looked like dots from so high in the palace. People were busy either talking with each other or working on booths under the supervision of Reginald's men, and there were a lot of booths to be built. The guards were relaxed but vigilant as they watched over their charges. The laws were strict in Sky City, and they were confident no one would dare cause trouble.

 

Jesse couldn't help but smile as she saw the number of booths. It was time for the Spring Festival, and the celebration would take place in a few days. It was in celebration of the days getting longer and the weather getting warmer. It was a time of dance and revelry. It was one of the rare times the citizens of Sky City were allowed to participate in such merriment. Despite this, Isa still insisted on all building and crafting to be strictly monitored, regardless of what the end result was used for.

 

 _Sky City_ _can sure be short on fun sometimes,_ Jesse thought sadly.

 

Even so, it was really nice to see children run around and play, mostly tag and hide and seek. A few of children had the rare ball or other toy to play with, which no doubt came from a petition to The Founder from the children’ parents. Most of them played together though, and Jesse felt a pang of jealousy.

 

 _Must be nice to have friends to play with,_ she thought morosely. _You don't need to craft anything to have fun then._

 

The Grand Garden was in the center of the city, well guarded by six of Reginald's men. A long line of citizens stood on one side of the fence, waiting for their daily ration of food. The people were well fed; it wasn't as though anyone went hungry. However, Isa's imposed limits on crafting and building make it so that most people were only allowed to eat when they were given food. If a person was hungry before their designated ration time, they would just have to deal with it.

 

There were some people who had their own personal gardens, and sometimes they would be willing to share their crops. This was before someone dropped a block of dirt into the Void some years ago, however, and The Founder was more and more stern about approving those kinds of petitions so resources wouldn’t be wasted in such a way ever again.   And so, waiting in line for food was the more common practice these days.

 

Jesse's stomach clenched, her appetite escaping her.

 

"Mother, why can't the people craft their own food again?" she asked her mother, for about the billionth time in her life. "Or grow their own food? Or raise their own animals?"

 

"Jesse, we've been through this many times now," Isa said. "Building is dangerous, and crafting is dangerous. It's better for the people to have someone watching over them so they remain unharmed. It's for the good of the people."

 

Jesse let the topic drop. Yes, mother and daughter had their fair share of arguments over the rights to build being restricted.

 

The trio arrived in the dining room to see their lunch already waiting for them. Isa sat at the head of the table and Jesse sat to her right. Reginald took his place to The Founder's left, although he remained standing.

 

"What's for lunch today?" Jesse asked as she looked over the table. "There's a lot here."

 

"Beetroot soup, bread, and pumpkin pie," Isa replied, taking some of the soup for herself.

 

"Pumpkin pie? Isn't that supposed to be for dessert after dinner?"

 

"I thought I'd give you a little reward for finishing your morning exams.”

 

Isa gave her daughter a smile, clearly trying to be encouraging. Jesse smiled back. Her mother might be strict, but she did have her own little ways of showing her love. Nevertheless, the thought that Jesse could so easily receive a special treat just reminded her how the citizens had to wait for their food.

 

Regardless, Jesse was hungry and she did have the practical exam that afternoon, so she dug into the beetroot soup and bread with ferocity. Reginald smiled as he watched the two women eat, happy to see the two of them enjoy a meal together. It was always nice to see the two of them spend time with each other, something that was becoming more and more rare as Jesse was growing older and Isa was more occupied.

 

The peace, sadly, was short-lived. After finishing her soup and receiving a plate of pumpkin pie, Jesse simply stared at the food. Reginald could see her biting the inside of her cheek, and he sighed to himself. Over the years, Reginald had plenty of time to learn Jesse's quirks and behaviors, and he knew this was a sure sign that she wanted to say something Isa wouldn't like.

 

"Do you have a lot of things to craft for the festival, Mother?"

 

"Many things, but they are all manageable," Isa replied. "Why do you ask?"

 

"I was just wondering..." Now Jesse was biting her bottom lip. "Well, if you weren't too busy, maybe we could go enjoy the festival together? Just for a little while?"

 

Isa sighed loud enough that the guards on the other side of the palace probably heard her.

 

"Jesse, we've been over this," she answered. "It's dangerous out there. You could be hurt by someone who doesn't agree with the necessity of our laws."

 

"I know, I know. There are plenty of people who want to be able to craft whatever they want without your permission, and will do everything they can to make that happen." Jesse had heard this explanation so many times she could recite it herself. "Even do something like hurt me. But not everyone's like that, right? Most people are nice."

 

"I'm not willing to take that chance," Isa disputed. "You're safer in the palace."

 

"What if Reginald went with us?" Jesse offered, waving her hand at the Captain. "He could protect us from anyone dangerous."

 

Reginald barely kept his face from flushing. "I'm honored by your confidence in me, Young Miss."

 

"That would simply inform them that you are my daughter, and that would cause more problems," The Founder debated back. "I'm not about to let that happen."

 

"Well, you have to tell the people about me eventually! Now’s as good a time as any.”

 

“Jesse—”

 

“I've lived in the palace all my life, Mother!" Jesse argued, her pie forgotten. "You're always telling me that I'll need to serve the people when you step down. How can I do that if the people don't even know who I am? And I don't know them?"

 

"You will learn soon enough," Isa said, her tone serious and final. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and stood, Jesse following suit. "My decision is final, Jesse. Put it out of your mind.”

 

The Founder was on her way out of the dining room when Jesse spoke up again.

 

"What if I don’t want to?"

 

Isa paused but remained silent, and a moment later she left the room without giving her child an answer. Jesse sat down again and put a hand to her forehead. Reginald tried to give her an encouraging smile, but Jesse wasn't even looking at him.

 

"Young Miss, you don't need to worry so much," he said finally after minutes of stillness between them. "Your mother is simply thinking about what's best for me."

 

"What she thinks is best for me might not be what I need. Did anyone ever think of that?" Jesse let out a long groan of annoyance. "Mother never lets me do anything. Nothing helpful anyway. I learn how to build, how to craft and all this stuff, but I can’t even go talk to the someone on the street?”

 

Reginald put a hand on her shoulder. “She’s just trying to keep you safe.”

 

"I guess so." She started poking at her pumpkin pie, which by this point had lost all its heat and had become a crumbly mess. "But what does that have to do with me not meeting the people? Does anyone even know I exist? That The Founder has a daughter?"

 

The Captain of the Guard sighed. "I know it's frustrating, but--"

 

"And what about when Mother has an audience with someone?" Jesse interrupted. "People come into the palace all the time to petition for resources, but I'm never allowed to be there. I'm always stuck in my room! As if anyone would try anything in the palace when they’re surrounded by guards."

 

Reginald didn't have a response to that. Truly, it would be helpful both to the people and to Jesse herself if she could be involved in the petitioning process, at the very least. It was one of the most common thing Isa did these days, and it would give Jesse experience she would no doubt need when she became leader.

 

"I'm not even allowed to visit Benedict anymore!" she ranted on, throwing her arms in the air. "She's stuck down there in that basement all by herself! She's probably just as lonely as I am!"

 

"Yes, being the Eversource might be just as tedious as being the Founder's daughter," Ivor's voice called out as he entered the room. "Sometimes I think you should team up with that chicken and run away.”

 

"Ivor, please don't start that again," Reginald begged. "It's hard enough to convince Jesse not to do anything rash--"

 

"I'm not being rash!" the young woman debated. The two men stared at her following her outburst, and Jesse immediately deflated. She crossed her arms on the table and hid her face in them. “It’s just…I'm tired of being by myself all the time. Mother never lets me hang out with anyone other than you two. I don’t have anyone to talk to or anything. I...I’m really tired of being so alone.”

 

Reginald lowered his gaze for a moment before giving her a pleading expression. "Your mother loves you and she doesn't want anything to happen to you. None of us do. You know that, right?"

 

"I know,” she said, her tone much more quiet and respectful this time as she lifted her gaze to him. “Sorry for biting your heads off.”

 

Ivor let out a groan. "You two can be sentimental later. It's almost time for your practical exam, _Princess_."

 

"Don't call me that, Ivor!"

 

That put a smile back on Jesse's face, and Reginald was happy to see it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I’m a sad person. MCSM Season 2 isn’t available for Mac users, and that’s the only platform I have that the game (supposedly) was released on. So, I’m still avoiding spoilers as best I can. To make up for this, I spent my time editing this chapter. Enjoy!

"Come back here!"

 

"Freeze, criminal!"

 

Three of the Sky City guards were very busy chasing a thief. Or, at least, they thought he was a thief. Really, he had just been trading some building materials with another person who had been at the supervised crafting table earlier that day. He hid the sticks he received close to his chest, and made sure that his head, face, and neck were completely covered by the black hood he wore to conceal his identity. It was no problem making the trade without anyone seeing them, but once the guards saw a hooded man carrying crafting items they were sure he wasn't permitted to have they immediately chased after him.

 

Unfortunately for the guards, this man was used to ducking and weaving between the iron buildings of Sky City, and he knew some of the secret passages and tunnels that Build Club had prepared for just such an occasion. He took a right and then a left before ducking into a small hollow next to the outer wall of the city. The young man waited, staying completely still until the thundering footsteps of his pursuers disappeared and the street was quiet.

 

Once he was sure it was safe, he lowered his hood, causing his blond hair to tumble over his ears. His piercing blue eyes peeked out for just a moment to watch the guards head down the wrong direction, and he smiled, showing off a set of bright teeth to absolutely no one.

 

"That was close," said Lukas. He tucked the sticks he had traded into the front of his jacket and zipped up the front, holding them close to his chest and keeping them well hidden from prying eyes. "Guards could still be around. Better lay low for a bit."

 

Lukas knew exactly where to go in this situation. His father had taught him to keep his head down if there was any chance of someone catching him carrying crafting supplies. And what better place to hide out for a while than at his best friend's home?

 

Trying to walk as naturally as he could with a bunch of sticks jabbing into his chest, Lukas made his way through the streets until he came to a small, two-story building. Technically it housed two separate homes, with his friend living on the upper floor. He climbed the stairs to the entrance and knocked, glancing back down the street one last time before turning his attention to the door as it was opened.

 

The tall redhead stared at Lukas for only a split second before she let him inside.

 

"Let me guess," she said, smirking. "You were chased by the guards and need a place to lie low for a while?"

 

"And someone to be my alibi just in case they followed me here," Lukas replied with a grin. "Thanks, Petra."

 

Petra shook her head as she closed the door and locked it. "Sure thing. Just don't get dirt on my couch this time."

 

Lukas knew he was welcome to make himself at home in Petra's little flat. It was a simple place, just like many of the homes in Sky City, with a single floor and a living room, dining room, and kitchen that were all connected in one space. Only the bedroom and bathroom had their own separate doors. Petra was never one to have extravagant things, even by Sky City standards, but her place was comfortable enough, with its own couch and tables. Petra wasn't a big reader, but she had a small bookshelf with a few books she managed to gather over time by petitioning The Founder. Most of the subjects were benign enough, focusing around history and law, and Lukas had read each one at least three times within the first year she owned them.

 

He sat on the light brown couch, making sure he didn't prop his feet up on the small table in front of it. (He already made that mistake once, and he wouldn't again.) He pulled the sticks out of his jacket and placed them on the table, before leaning back into the couch and letting out a loud breath.

 

"The guards are getting more and more tenacious," he commented as Petra brought him a drink of water. Thankfully, The Founder never limited anyone on the amount of water they could have. The various pools around the city were apparently designed to be infinite. "I think the ones in this part of town might be onto me. I might need to avoid trading around here for a while."

 

"Your dad won't be happy about that," Petra stated, taking a gulp of her own water. "Some of those deals are the main sources of resources for Build Club."

 

"I know, but I doubt Dad would want me caught for it," he said. He scooted over to give her room to join him on the couch. "After all the time he spent in jail..."

 

"Yeah, no kidding," the redhead agreed. "So, those sticks are what you traded this time?"

 

Lukas leaned forward and started moving sticks around, putting them in positions she knew would make something, but without being on a crafting table, they would simply remain a pile of sticks.

 

"Yeah. Dad said he'll show everyone some things we can do with them. He promised me weeks ago, but we haven’t been able to get sticks in a while.”

 

"Well, that stinks. I can’t wait for the day when we don’t have to bed to craft the simplest little thing.”

 

“Tell me about it.”

 

“Speaking of which, that reminds me.” Petra put her drink down on the table. " I’ve got something to show you."

 

Petra rose from her seat and headed to her bedroom. Lukas folded the sticks back into a straight pile while he waited. He certainly knew better than to poke around Petra's room, even if she was there...or perhaps, especially because she was there. That was another mistake he wouldn't make twice. Petra was his best friend and he had known her for years, but she liked her privacy, and Lukas could appreciate that.

 

It didn't take long for Petra to return with a couple sheets of paper. She handed them to him with one of her trademark small grins. Whatever this was, she was proud of herself.

 

“I think I might be able to make your life a little easier, Lukas.”

 

Lukas took the papers and spent a moment looking them over. His eyes went wide as the repercussions of this sank into his mind. He waited a long moment before he responded.

 

"These are acceptance papers into the Guard," he said. He tried to keep his breathing even. "You're joining the Guard?"

 

"Yeah, I passed the tests and The Founder found no problems with my background check," Petra explained. "Turns out all those visits to Build Club never got put on my record, and all the other guards in charge of supervising crafting or building never had anything bad to say about me."

 

Lukas was quiet again for a long while, long enough that Petra's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Seeing her puzzled look, he handed the papers back to her.

 

"So, I guess this means you won't be coming to Build Club anymore?" he presumed. "And you're going to have to arrest me if you find me trading resources?"

 

Lukas could have sworn he heard Petra snort as she put her palm to her forehead. “No, you blockhead. I'm not going to do that."

 

"But won't you have to if you're in the Guard?"

 

"Sheesh, Lukas. I know you're smarter than this." At this comment, Lukas glanced up at her as Petra rolled her eyes. "Members of the Guard have access to the palace, and all the inventory The Founder keeps in there. I’m going to smuggle resources out for you and your dad."

 

Lukas blinked a couple of times. "What? Really?"

 

"No, I'm going to turn in all of Build Club so I can become the next Captain of the Guard." Petra's voice was as flat as a pancake. "Of course I'm doing it to help get supplies. Why else would I join the Guard? Not because I like the idea of keeping people from building, I’ll tell you that."

 

Lukas let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Oh man. You had me worried for a second."

 

"If you weren't my best friend, I'd feed you a fist for having so little faith in me," she said with a scowl. "I hate the no building laws as much as you do. My joining the Guard won't change that."

 

Lukas chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, Petra. I should've known better."

 

"Yeah, you should've." Now Petra's tone was more sarcastically playful, and Lukas immediately knew he was forgiven. She sat on the couch again. "I don't know how much I'll be able to get out of palace, but I can give it a try."

 

“It’s really risky though. Are you sure you want to do it?” he warned. “If you get caught, who knows how The Founder will punish you? It could be worse than what happened to Dad!”

 

“I’ll just have to not get caught.”

 

Lukas shook his head but smiled nonetheless. _Petra’s always been braver than me._

 

“How long before I have to call you Officer?” he joked.

 

“Oh god, I don’t think I’ll ever get comfortable with that idea. Makes me feel like I have to be formal or something.” Petra leaned her head back to stare at her ceiling. “Not for a while. There’s basic training first. That’s not for a few weeks. And then I’ll be enlisted for real.”

 

“And I bet you won’t be allowed access to any resources for some time after that.”

 

“Probably, but what’s a few more weeks when we’ve been stuck waiting a lifetime already?”


	3. Chapter 3

The Founder’s breakfast table was unusually quiet as she ate her meal with her daughter.   It was the morning of the Spring Festival, which would be celebrated for the next three days. Isa was sure she understood the reason her daughter was so silent. The previous night, she had once again insisted that Jesse remain in the palace and not partake in the celebration. She kept picking at her food, barely eating, and looked out the windows at the clouds in the sky wit her palm to her chin.

 

Isa herself was in a down mood as well. It was obvious that attending the Spring Festival meant a lot to Jesse, and year after year she refused to let her daughter anywhere near the citizens. Isa herself didn’t have the time to partake in the celebration either, preferring to spend the time collecting more resources for the petitions that would come in once the festival was over. The citizens were too occupied to make petitions during this time, so Isa wanted to get ahead of schedule as much as she could.

 

Isa watched as the younger woman let out sigh after sigh, her disappointment permeating the air like a fog.

 

 _She will understand one day,_ Isa thought, taking a drink of her water. _Perhaps when she has children of her own._

 

With that thought giving her comfort, Isa pushed back her chair to stand. Jesse startled, clearly having been shocked out of her daydreaming.

 

“Whoa!”

 

“My apologies, Jesse,” her mother said. “I just wanted to remind you that I will be in the basement gathering resources today, so you probably won’t see me until after dinner.”

 

“Okay.” Jesse glanced down at her plate for a moment before returning her eyes to her mother’s. “Any chance at all I could come down with you? It’s been ages since I’ve seen Benedict.”

 

“Not today, dear,” she replied with a shake of her head. “I’ll be fighting some monsters and I don’t want you getting hurt. Perhaps next time.”

 

Jesse let out another sigh. “You used to train me to fight those monsters. I’ll have to get resources from their drops one day too. Wouldn’t it be good for me to get in some practice?”

 

“You’re right, but that day is not today,” Isa declared with finality. She watched as Jesse deflated again. “I’m sure there’s plenty you can occupy yourself with today. Maybe you would like to read that new book about Endermen? The one by Soren?”

 

“It’s not really a new book, Mother,” Jesse said. At least her tone was a little lighter. “I’ve read it five times now.”

 

“Oh, I see.” Now Isa felt like kicking herself. Of course Jesse had read that book many times already. She had probably read the entire library half a dozen times over by now. “I’ll have to see about getting you a new book.”

 

“That’s okay.” Jesse got up from her own chair and started grabbing a few apples and carrots and piling them into her arms. “I think I’ll spend the day reviewing. I’d like to not be disturbed, if that’s all right?”

 

This last statement was directed towards Reginald, who simply nodded and saluted at the request.

 

“Reviewing?” Isa’s brow furrowed. “But you just had an exam a few days ago.”

 

Jesse simply shrugged and kept her eyes on the food. “Yeah, but I want to make sure I’ve got them all down.”

 

Isa stared at her, but couldn’t find a reason to doubt her. All she could think to do was smile at her daughter.

 

“You’ve always been determined,” she said with a small grin. “You’ll be a fine leader someday.”

 

“Will I be called The Founder when you step down?” Jesse wondered all of a sudden. “I didn’t exactly found Sky City.”

 

This managed to elicit a small giggle from the older woman. “Truthfully, I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

 

Isa turned to head for the secret doorway that lead down to the basement that was Benedict’s home, but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She instantly spun around and came face-to-face with her child’s bright green eyes.

 

“Be careful down there,” she said. “I’m in no hurry to be the new Founder…or whatever I’ll be called.”

 

Isa’s smile widened and she gave Jesse a small hug. “I will. Take care, dear.”

 

Jesse watched as her mother left the dining room. Still carrying the food in her arms, she exited the room herself and quickly made her way through the shining iron hallways and up to her own tower.

 

Her mother had insisted that Jesse’s room be located in an inconspicuous spot. It wasn’t a tower or an offshoot of another room. Instead, it was simply at the end of a hallway west of the throne room. The room itself was a large rectangle, large enough to be considered opulent but small enough to not be too excessive. Her bed was a few blocks to the right of the door, but positioned to be centered in the room. On either side were nightstands with small cloths covering them, one of which also had a dried up, practically dead plant.

 

Her desk was on the other side of the room and perpendicular to her bed.   To the right of that was a wardrobe containing all the gowns and other clothing her mother had gifted her. Across from the doorway was a large window, allowing her a view of some of the other smaller floating islands in the distance, although if she stuck her head out and looked to the right, Jesse could see a few of the taller buildings of Sky City itself.

 

 _I’m tired of that being the only part of the city I ever see._ Jesse’s inner tone was nearly a growl.

 

Jesse walked into her room, dumped the pile of food on her desk, and quickly returned to the door to lock it. She paused, looking around her room with steel in her eyes.

 

She turned her attention to the nightstand with the dried plant on top. Isa had given it as a gift to Jesse, supposedly as something to occupy her daughter when she busy with her Founder duties, but all that really happened was the poor plant went horribly thirsty for water. It didn’t take long before it was nothing but a pile of sticks.

 

Jesse moved the plant off the table and yanked the tablecloth to the side, exposing a crafting table underneath.

 

 _Good thing Mother had never found out I swapped out my table for this,_ she thought proudly.

 

Next, Jesse flattened herself on the floor so she could dig through her secret stash she kept under her bed.   Okay, so it wasn’t a “stash” per se. At the moment it only consisted of a large pile of sticks. Thirty-five to be exact. It had taken Jesse a few weeks to sneak a few extra from her lessons with Ivor before she had enough to make the ladders she wanted. She had even calculated how many iron blocks it was from her window to the ground at the bottom, so she could make sure she had enough sticks to craft enough ladders. She was half sure Ivor had been aware of her smuggling, but whether he was or not, he never mentioned it.

 

 _Sometimes I feel like a criminal,_ she thought as she put the sticks in the correct places, followed by a ladder popping into existence seconds afterwards. _I’m even thinking in terms of “smuggling.”_

 

After she was finished crafting enough ladders, Jesse quickly changed out of her dress and into a casual t-shirt and overalls. It was her mother’s least favorite outfit, and one of the few that Reginald had given Jesse as a gift after she complained how she was constantly tripping over her dresses. Jesse loved it.

 

She looked out her window to the bottom of the palace. There was a small outcropping of dirt that went beyond the palace walls, which went along the entire perimeter of the palace, which would allow someone to walk along the edge of the huge construction and to the city itself. Jesse just had to get down there.

 

 _It probably never occurred to Mother that someone could craft ladders to get up and down these walls,_ she thought. _What with her controlling access to sticks and all._

 

Jesse placed the first ladder, letting it stick to the side of the iron block just beneath her window. She took one last glance at the bottom, took a deep breath at the height, and climbed out the window to make her descent. She placed a new ladder after the first one ran out, and kept going down, down, down.

 

She felt like she didn’t breathe until her feet hit the solid ground at the bottom of the ladder.

 

“I hate heights.”

 

Pressing her back against the palace walls, she slowly scampered around the building to the front, not quite to the palace entrance, but close enough to get to the where the guard barracks was located. She knew the roof of that building was slanted, and she would be able to sneak across on one side without anyone on the ground seeing her. The only chance of someone seeing her was if someone spotted her from one of the windows on the upper floors of the palace, but she would have to take that chance.

 

Getting to the barracks’ roof wasn’t difficult, considering it was actually a bit lower in elevation than the palace. Jesse made sure she crawled across it slowly; the last thing she wanted was for someone to investigate the suspicious sound of footsteps coming from the ceiling. It took a few minutes, but she managed it in no time.

 

She was just about to climb down the other side when—

 

“Where is Harry?” Shoot! It was Reginald! Jesse ducked her head down, although she knew he wouldn’t see her up on the roof. “He was supposed to relieve Ron twenty minutes ago.”

 

“He overslept, Captain,” another voice said, one that Jesse didn’t recognize. “He said he would be ready in five and head straight to his post.”

 

Reginald let out a sigh. “I will need to have a talk with him. This is the fourth time this has happened. Ron has been guarding the garden since last night. If he doesn’t get some sleep, he’ll pass out.”

 

Jesse held her breath as footsteps carried the voices away. Once she was sure they were out of earshot, she finally released it slowly through her teeth.

 

_Too close. Way too close._

 

With a hop and a tumble, Jesse dropped drown from the barracks’ roof and into the nearby alley. Thankfully it was empty, and the lack of doors and windows in the area told her that people probably didn’t regularly come down this way. She brushed the dirt off the knees of her overalls and slowly made her way down the alley.

 

“Wow. I made it,” she whispered. “I actually freaking made it!”

 

Jesse made her way through the back alleys, having no idea where she was going but just euphoric from the adrenaline of her escape, until she came to an path that lead to an more open area…

 

And her entire world exploded.

 

Sure, Jesse had seen Sky City from the distance of the palace many times, but it was so different seeing it up close. The various shapes and sizes of the buildings were only matched by the variety of the precious ores and blocks used to build them. They got taller as she reached the center of the town, where the communal garden was located and that she had only seen from a distance. She could make out the different crops being grown, although she made sure she didn’t get too close. The last thing she needed was for a guard to realize she had snuck out. The egg motifs that had been mere dots before she could now see were some of the most elaborate tapestries and statues she had ever seen.

 

But what really shocked her was the people. Tall people, short people, thin people, fat people, old and young, and everything in between. Everyone was obviously excited about the Spring Festival, and Jesse heard them go on about how they were going to eat special food (which was not usually available and saved for special occasions such as this) or the games they were going to play. She recognized the booths she saw being built in the days prior, and crowds were running around with such commotion that Jesse thought her ears were going to start bleeding.

 

Other than the guards, the only people Jesse really interacted with were Isa and Ivor. So, to see so many people in one place was more than a little overwhelming.

 

“I can’t believe I’m actually here!” She cried, her heart beating faster than she ever thought it could. Her eyes kept jumping from one booth to another. “What should I do first?”

 

While glancing around at the festival, her eyes quickly fell upon the palace, and she froze. The domed building was built almost entirely out of gold and iron blocks, which Jesse already knew, but it was entirely different to see it in the sunshine from the outside. The glittering gold made the numerous eggs look speckled. The towers pointed further to the sky, with wires connecting them to the dome itself, and banners hung from each for the festival. Looking at all the windows, Jesse could see that all of them were dark, although she was sure the lights were on inside.

 

 _No wonder nobody’s ever seen me,_ she thought. _Mother probably designed them that way._

 

Jesse was so preoccupied with the sight of her gilded cage that she didn’t notice she had begun to back up into another person. She let out a rather undignified “oomph” and the two of them went crashing to the ground. Jesse shook her head and slipped around to see whom she had run into.

 

“I’m so, so sorry!” She said, her voice running a mile a minute. “I wasn’t watching where I was going. Are you okay?”

 

The young woman with dark skin and a pair of goggles on her head gave her a small smile. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”

 

Jesse held out a hand to help the other to her feet, which was taken with a gentle grip. She was so distracted by this that she didn’t even notice it when the girl patted her shoulder and walked away.

 

_I touched another person! Another person who’s not a guard or my mother!_

She continued to look around the Spring Festival, taking in all the people, the voices, the noise, the smells, the games, everything! It was all so overwhelming! People were playing games, talking with each other, eating food… Jesse felt like she could hyperventilate at any moment.

 

“What do I do first?!” She repeated, barely able to keep her eyes on any one thing. “I don’t even know where to start!”

 

Luckily for Jesse, the answer was provided for her. As she arrived closer to the center of the festival, the sudden sound of a guitar flew through the air. This was quickly followed by drums, a piano, and a saxophone. The instruments merged together into a wonderful jazz song that made Jesse’s feet tap, and she followed the sound to its origin. A band had started playing in the middle of the town square, and many of the Sky City inhabitants gathered around to cheer the musicians on. Jesse swiftly joined them, carefully pushing her way to the front to see them. She stared at them, her mouth dropped open in awe.

 

“Never heard music this close before,” she whispered. “It’s so much louder down here than in the palace.”

 

The musicians played on, and Jesse found herself swaying to the saxophone and tapping her feet to the drums. She let the music completely take over her body, and she soon was dancing like there was no tomorrow…and in a way, for her, there wasn’t. Not like this. Who knew if or when she would be able to enjoy music like this again?

 

Jesse was so excited she barely even noticed when some of the surrounding people began to dance along with her. The band saw this and played with renewed energy, which in turn just made more and more attendees join in the dance. Jesse spun around in twirls, and a couple children took her hands to spin with her. Adults quickly joined in, and everyone was spinning and dancing, making Jesse dizzy.

 

 _I never want this day to end, and it’s only just started!_ The young woman thought as she closed her eyes and let the music take her away.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I writing and posting these chapters too quickly?

“Man, I wish I had a hat,” Lukas complained as the sun shone directly in his eyes. “This sun is killing me!”

 

“What happened to your last one?” Petra asked as they walked down the streets towards the Spring Festival. “I thought you had one?”

 

“My cowboy hat? It got blown off the island into the Void.” Lukas ran his hands through his hair. “I haven’t had the chance to craft one. I can’t get the right materials.”

 

“The Founder’s still not approving your Dad’s petitions?” she inquired, although she already knew the answer before she saw Lukas’ nod. Milo hadn’t had a single petition approved since he was released from jail. “That’s ridiculous. You can’t even get a hat?”

 

“You looked like a loser in it anyway.”

 

Lukas rolled his eyes at this statement, making sure the brown-haired young man walking on his other side didn’t see. He seemed to be lengthening his stride, forcing Lukas and Petra to make quicker steps in order to keep up. He kept his arms akimbo, further showing his impatience with the other two. He was facing away from them, so it wasn’t hard for Lukas to hide his exasperated expression.

 

 _Would it kill you to say something nice once in a while, Aiden?_ Lukas thought.

 

Petra must have had the same thought, and she whispered as much to Lukas. “Why is he coming with us again?”

 

“Come on, he’s my friend,” Lukas protested, though a bit weakly. “He’s not that bad. He just wants to get to the festival.”

 

“He didn’t have to wait for us. We could’ve met him there.”

 

Lukas didn’t answer. He had no response to that. She was right.

 

“The first thing I’m going to do is get something to eat,” Aiden declared, either not hearing their conversation or ignoring it. “They better have melon there. They didn’t last year.”

 

“Melon sure sounds good right now,” Lukas agreed as they arrived at the outskirts of the festival. “The food booths are at the other side.”

 

“You guys go ahead,” Petra said. She slowed her pace to a stop, and the boys did so as well, although Aiden didn’t turn around to look at her like Lukas did. “I’ve got some business to take care of first.”

 

“The thing?” Lukas asked.

 

“Yeah, the thing,” she answered. “I’ll meet you guys at the cake booth, okay?”

 

“See ya, Petra.”

 

“Yeah, later.”

 

With that, the bandana-wearing redhead went her own way, leaving the area of the festival and heading towards some of the darker alleys, where neither the sun nor the torches from the festival would shine any light on the goings-on there.

 

 _Hopefully the guards will be too busy with the festival to care about some illegal trading,_ Lukas thought.

 

“Yo, Luke!” Aidan called, and Lukas snapped his vision back to his friend. “You coming or not?”

 

“I’m coming!”

 

The two men made their way to the main part of the festival, with Aiden pointing out things he wanted to do while they were there. Lukas was less picky about what activities they would partake in, so he just left that decision making to Aiden. It was just really nice to be around the town without having to worry so much about anything. The guards, trading crafting materials, hiding, the suspicious glances because of who his father was…all these things Lukas could just forget about, even if just for a short while.

 

Instead, he could just focus on the here and now and enjoy himself. He wanted to see the cookie booth and eat some cookies (something he almost never got under any other circumstances), play some games like darts and ring toss, and maybe see if he can convince anyone to give him some leftover supplies. Plenty of people knew about his cause and were happy to help, so long as it couldn’t be traced back to them.

 

“I’m definitely checking out that slime booth later on,” he announced.

 

“Oh yeah! Maybe we can convince Ivy to give us some.”

 

“Don’t get your hopes up, Aiden. The guards keep count of all the materials that enter and leave the festival, remember?”

As the pair arrived at the more central part of the festival, Lukas couldn’t help but smile at the group of people who had begun dancing to the tune of the jazz band playing there. They were bouncing up and down, spinning, and singing along with the music. Lukas was quite fond of the guitar himself, although he never had the opportunity to learn how to play.

 

In the middle of the dancing group was a young woman with pitch-dark hair, wearing a pair of blue overalls and a red t-shirt. She was perhaps the most active of all the dancers, going back and forth between partners with a smile so wide Lukas had to wonder if her face was going to break in half. Her energy also must have been contagious, because she was able to bring people who weren’t dancing into the group to join in on the fun. Even the darkest sneers were turning into smiles at her behavior.

 

 _You’d think she’d never danced before,_ Lukas thought, as he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

 

“Hello?! Lukas!” Aiden yelled and waved his hand in front of Lukas’ face. “Anyone home?”

 

Lukas shook his head briefly. “What?”

  
“I’ve been calling your name for the past five minutes. What’s got you so distracted?” Aiden followed Lukas’ gaze, landing on the dark-haired woman, and he smirked. “Well, look what we got here.”

 

“I don’t think I’ve seen her before,” Lukas said. “She must be new.”

 

“It’s not like we know everyone in town,” Aiden reminded him. He ran a hand through his hair. “Well, time to go say hello.”

 

Lukas wasn’t sure he liked the tone Aiden’s voice had taken, and he didn’t really want to find out what he was thinking.

 

The blond made his way through the crowd to the many dancers. The close proximity of all the people and the sun beating down on them all made the area hot and stifling, making Lukas wish even more he hadn’t lost his hat. Once he reached the middle of the crowd, he found himself staring at the young woman again. Her green eyes sparkled brighter than any emerald (not that Lukas had seen many).

 

Those very eyes landed on him, and no more than a minute later she rushed over to take his hands.

 

“Come on! No standing allowed!” She declared, pulling him in front of the band. “Everyone’s got to dance!”

 

Lukas didn’t get the chance to protest as he was brought into a spin with her, their arms crossed as they bounced together. The girl laughed, and her smile was infectious, because Lukas grinned widely as well. They danced around, keeping their entwined for several minutes, completely ignoring everyone else around them.

 

As the music came to an abrupt stop, the woman snapped her head to look at them in shock. Doing this, however, caused her to yank on Lukas’ hands again, and the two ended up falling to the ground, with the two of them side by side. Others had to jump out of the way to make sure they didn’t all become a line of dominoes.

 

Lukas glanced over at the girl.

 

“You okay?”

 

She blinked and pulled her dark hair out of her face. “Ah, man. I did it again!”

 

“Did what again?” He cocked his head in confusion. _What’s she talking about?_

 

“I knocked someone over again,” she explained as she stood and helped Lukas to his feet. “I swear I’m not usually this clumsy!”

 

“No worries,” he replied. “It happens. I’m Lukas, by the way.”

 

She seemed a bit taken aback by the introduction, but moments later stuck out her hand. “I’m Jesse.”

 

“Nice to meet you.” The band started playing again, but there was less dancing this time, with the festival attendees moving on to other activities. Lukas led them away from the crowd. “I haven’t seen you here before.”

 

“Yeah, um, well, it’s my first time at the Spring Festival.” Jesse fidgeted with one of the buckles of her overalls. “So yeah, you wouldn’t have seen me before.”

 

“You haven’t been to the festival before? Why not?” Jesse’s eyes started darting around, and her teeth nibbled on her bottom lip. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me. It just kind of sucks that you haven’t before. It’s lots of fun!”

 

“I know, right?” Her tone instantly uplifted and she made eye contact again. “I’ve only been here a few minutes and I’m already having a blast!”

 

“Yeah, I could tell by the dancing,” Lukas said. A torch suddenly lit up in his head. “Hey, if you want, I can show you around?”

 

Jesse did a little jump. “That would be great!”

 

“Hey Lukas!” It was Aiden, pushing his way through the crowd to join them. “Sheesh, you just disappeared on me.”

 

“Sorry about that,” Lukas said with a small huffing laugh. He waved a hand to Jesse. “Aiden, this is Jesse. Jesse, meet Aiden, a friend of mine.”

 

“Hey there,” Aiden answered, giving her an amused smirk and puffing up his chest. “Haven’t seen you here before, and I know all the girls in town.”

 

The fact that this statement was the opposite of what he said earlier about not knowing everyone in town seemed to be completely lost on Aiden. Lukas rolled his eyes and barely stopped himself from slapping his palm to his forehead.

 

_Really, Aiden? You’re trying a line like that now?_

 

“Yeah, this is my first time at the Spring Festival,” Jesse repeated for the newcomer.

 

“Well, you don’t know what you’ve been missing,” Aiden declared. He threw an arm around her shoulders and began to lead her to the booths. “Why don’t you let us give you a tour?”

 

Jesse’s face built up a small flush. “Uh, sure.”

 

Lukas couldn’t help but notice she was a bit less enthusiastic than when he offered the same thing moments ago.

 

“Hey Lukas! Didn’t you want to see the slime booth?”

 

“Slime booth?” Now Jesse just looked confused.

 

Lukas shook his head as he followed the two, with Aiden leading the way. They quickly ended up at a booth with a pile of slime balls in the middle of the counter. At the back of the booth were multiple buckets, each labeled with different numbers, which Lukas knew to represent points. The person running the booth was a middle-aged woman with long, dark brown hair and wearing a long dark green robe.

 

“Hi Ivy.”

 

“Hello, Lukas,” she greeted him warmly. “I thought you’d be by sometime today. You always do. Care to play?”

 

“What is this exactly?” Jesse asked, her eyes darting back and forth between the buckets and the slime balls.

 

“This is Slime Basketball,” Ivy described. “Basically, you take a slime ball and throw or bounce it into one of the buckets. Each bucket is worth different points, and you get three throws. The prize you get depends on how many point you earn.”

 

“Sounds fun!” The younger woman cried out. “May I give it a try?”

 

“Hmm, a polite young lady.” Ivy gave her an appreciative look and passed her three slime balls. “Here you go. Good luck!”

 

Jesse picked up a ball and passed it back and forth between her hands. She bit her lip as she took in all the buckets. The ones in the back were worth more points, and of course a higher score would mean a better prize. Lukas watched as she seemed to calculate the scores in her head, and she hadn’t even made her first throw yet.

 

Finally, she drew her hand back and gave the slime ball a strong toss. It ended up hitting the wall behind the buckets, bouncing back to the others and hitting the counter. From there, it bounced towards the buckets again, but instead of landing in one it bounced off, hitting the ceiling, then the floor, then the ceiling again. Up and down it went until it ran out of energy and finally landed on the floor near Ivy’s foot. She bent down to pick it up and placed it back on the counter.

 

Jesse let out a nervous laugh, which Lukas noticed was the quietest he had heard her be so far. “Um, sorry. Guess I shouldn’t throw so hard.”

 

“That would be a good idea,” Ivy said nervously. “I’ve never seen a slime ball hurt someone, and I don’t think I’d like to find out if it can.”

 

“Sorry.”

 

“Do you want me to show you how to do it?” Lukas offered.

 

Jesse chuckled. “Yeah, that might be a good idea.”

 

“Nah, step aside.” Aiden pushed himself forward. “I’ll show you how it’s done.”

 

He snatched a slime ball from the counter and, with a smirk, threw the ball effortlessly. Sure enough, it landed in one of the middle buckets, earning him three out of five points. Aiden stood with his chin held high.

 

“Nice one!” Jesse said. She turned to Lukas. “How about you? You want my third throw?”

 

Lukas gave a small shrug. “Sure, I’ll give it a try.”

 

The blond took the last slime ball, eyeballed the distance to the bucket farthest in the back, and then carefully aimed his throw. This one he intentionally bounced off the ground so that it curved as it flew, landing in one of the five-point buckets. He threw his hands up in the air above his head and let out a cry of triumph.

 

“Got it!”

 

“Nice!” Jesse cried out. “Good job!”

 

Aiden’s lips thinned as his brow furrowed, but Lukas didn’t really notice. His focus was on Jesse and her toothy grin.

 

“Thanks.” He held his hand up for a high-five, but Jesse just stared at his hand. “High-five?”

 

“A what now?”

 

“You don’t know what a high-five is?” Aiden asked with an eyebrow raised.

 

“Like this. Hold up your hand.” Jesse followed Lukas’ instruction, and he slapped their palms together. Jesse let out a confused yet excited smile. “It’s how you celebrate something.”

 

“Awesome!” Jesse turned back to Ivy. “I guess that’s not enough points to get a prize?”

 

“Sorry, but no,” Ivy replied. She glanced at the younger woman for a moment. “Well, I guess I can give you something, since this is your first time.”

 

Ivy rolled one of the slime balls to Jesse, who easily caught it. “Hey, thanks!”

 

“Won’t you get in trouble with the guards for giving that away?” Lukas asked, his tone concerned.

 

Jesse’s eye widened. “I didn’t think of that. I don’t want to get you in trouble, Miss Ivy.”

 

“I’ll just tell the guards someone accidentally threw a ball into the Void,” Ivy explained. “I think you already proved one of these slime balls can go crazy pretty much anytime.”

 

Jesse’s worried expression faded to appreciation. “If you’re sure?”

 

“I’m sure. You don’t need to worry.”

 

“Thank you, Miss.”

 

“I bet Petra’s waiting for us by now,” Lukas realized. He waved to Ivy. “Thanks again, Ivy! See you later!”

 

“Don’t be a stranger now!” She called back before turning her attention to another attendee.

 

“I still can’t believe you didn’t know what a high-five is,” Aiden said as they made their way to the cake booth. “Who doesn’t know that?”

 

“Sorry.” Jesse rubbed the back of her neck. “My, uh, mother doesn’t let me out much. I don’t exactly have many friends to celebrate _anything_ with.”

 

Lukas watched her wring her hands for only a moment, and then put a hand on her shoulder. “Well, you’ve got some now.”

 

She glanced up at him. “Even though we just met?”

 

“Even though we just met.”

 

Jesse almost looked like she was going to cry, and Lukas was suddenly worried he had said the wrong thing.

 

_She’s still smiling, so I guess she’s okay?_

 

The trio arrived at the cake booth, and both Lukas and Aiden brought out some money to pay for some food. Jesse watched them with wide eyes and then patted her pockets.

 

“Oh man, I forgot to bring money,” she said, and then released a sigh. “I’ll have to pass.”

 

“It’s okay. I’ll buy a slice for you,” Lukas stated. He placed enough money on the counter for two slices, and then passed one of them to Jesse.

 

She took it hesitantly. “Are you sure?”

 

“I already bought it, so I’m sure.”

 

Jesse’s smile made his heart flutter. “Thanks, Lukas. I’ll pay you back tomorrow.”

 

“Really, don’t worry about it.”

 

Jesse tucked her hair behind her ear as she took a bite of the cake. The sun made her black hair shine in a way that almost made it look a lovely blue color. This stood in stark contrast to her pale skin, which looked like it rarely if ever was exposed to sunlight. She didn’t seem pallid, but rather this combined with Jesse’s enthusiasm about the festival made her practically glow brighter than any redstone Lukas had ever seen.

 

Lukas shook his head and took a bite of his own cake, forcing himself to look anywhere but at her.

 

 _What am I thinking?_ _I just met her!_ In spite of himself, Lukas kept sneaking glances at her out of the corner of his eye as they ate. _There’s just something about her…that draws me to her…_


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so I ask if I'm posting too quickly and then I take forever to post this one. Sorry. Life, you know? But anyway, hope you enjoy!

Jesse couldn’t say whether or not she believed in love at first sight. Really, she couldn’t say she knew very much about love other than the familial love she had for her mother and the platonic love she felt for Reginald. But she did believe in _attraction_ at first sight, and she was sure that was what she was feeling towards Lukas right now.

 

He was the first one she had an extended interaction with since she came to the festival, and he had already proven time and time again that he was a kind and considerate individual. Her mother was wrong. She didn’t have to worry about anyone wanting to hurt her. Of course, this might simply be because no one knew she was The Founder’s daughter, but that was a little detail they didn’t need to know.

 

It was just such a relief to be treated like a normal person by someone. Lukas didn’t call her by a title or was forced to be polite to her…Well, Lukas _was_ polite, but that seemed to be his normal self, not an act he had to put on for anyone. And he was even willing to gift her with cake, which was without a doubt in her top three favorite foods. If her mother was right that most people in Sky City were dangerous and wanted nothing more than to hurt her, then what were the chances she would encounter someone like him on her first trip outside?

 

 _And he has excellent hair,_ Jesse thought to herself, smiling at him.

 

“What are you smiling at?” Lukas asked, cocking his head to the side.

 

“Just enjoying this cake.” She took another large bite of out said cake.

 

There was a small growl behind them, and Jesse spotted Aiden out of the corner of her eye, holding out some money he had just pulled from his pockets. He held it out with a frown for a moment before shoving both his hands into his pockets.

 

“I’m going to get some melon,” he rumbled as he brushed past the two.

 

Jesse watched him leave, her smile turning into a concerned frown. “Are you okay, Aiden?”

 

“Fine. Just not in the mood for cake.”

 

Jesse watched him stomp away. _What’s with him?_

 

“Don’t worry about Aiden. He can be a bit prickly sometimes,” Lukas described. “He’s a nice guy once you get used to him. Don’t know what’s bugging him _now_ , but he’ll get over it.”

 

“If you say so.” Jesse finished off her cake and then turned to examine the rest of the festival. “So, what else is there to do around here?”

 

“Lots of games. I can show you,” her new friend said. “But we need to wait for Petra first.”

 

“Petra?”

 

“Friend of mine. She said she’d meet us here.”

 

“Someone say my name?” Jesse spun around at the voice and found herself face-to-chest with a rather tall young woman. She lifted her head to see a pair of deep brown eyes attached to a long face framed by red hair. Jesse stared at her. “Wow. You’re…really tall.”

 

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” the woman replied. “Thanks for waiting for me, Lukas.”

 

“No problem.” Lukas waved a hand between the two. “You get your thing done?

 

“Yep, all set.”

 

 _Thing?_ Jesse wondered to herself. _What thing?_

 

“Sorry. Petra, this is Jesse. I just met her today,” Lukas said. “Jesse, meet Petra.”

 

“Hi.”

 

“Oh, hi.” Petra had a smaller smile, but she was no less welcoming in her demeanor. “Nice to meet you.”

 

“Same to you.” Jesse couldn’t help but smile. _Well, she’s friendly. A bit distant, but friendly._

 

“Jesse’s never been to the Spring Festival before,” Lukas described. “And we were just talking about what there is to do here.”

 

“Oh, then I’ve got the perfect thing for you!” Petra declared, her smile taking on a slightly more sinister expression. “You’ve got a chance for some revenge, Lukas.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Oh yeah!” Jesse was sincerely worried about Petra’s face now. “Remember the dunk tank from last year?”

 

Lukas smirked. “Yeah, what about it?”

 

“Guess who’re the dunkees this year.”

 

Lukas seemed to think for a minute before his eyes lit up. “Seriously?!”

 

“Yeah!”

 

Jesse glanced back and forth between the two, taking in their excited expressions that had just a hint of mischief to them. Her brow furrowed and her eyes darted around.

 

“Um, I’ve missed something, haven’t I?”

 

“I’m going to go tell Aiden where we’re going,” Lukas announced as he ran off. “I’ll meet you there.”

 

As Lukas made his way through the crowds to find his friend, Jesse suddenly felt like a fish out of water. For the first time, she was without someone even remotely familiar to her, and the adrenaline she had felt when she first arrived was beginning to wear off. She wasn’t really sure what she was supposed to think or feel.

 

“Great, I thought we’d never get rid of Aiden,” Petra announced, snapping her out of her concern.

 

“You don’t like him much, do you?” Jesse asked playfully.

 

Petra rolled her eyes and huffed. “In case you didn’t notice, Aiden’s full of himself.”

 

“But I thought he hangs out with you?”

 

“Because I hang out with Lukas, not Aiden.” Petra put her hand to her forehead. “Don’t know why Lukas likes that guy, honestly.”

 

Jesse gave out a nervous laugh. “You’ve know Lukas for a while?”

 

“Practically forever,” she answered. “Our moms were friends, and my parents would babysit him when his mom was working. We pretty much grew up together.”

 

“So, he’s…” _Do I dare ask if there's something more?_ “Anything more than a friend?”

 

Petra quickly shook her head. “Oh god, no. That’d be like dating my little brother or something.”

 

Jesse let out a sigh, relief washing over her. Petra raised an eyebrow at her, but said nothing.

 

“Come on, Jesse,” Petra said. “Follow me. I’ll show you the dunk booth.”

 

“What’s a dunk booth?” Jesse asked.

 

“Someone’s suspended over a tank of water, and you throw a ball at a target,” she explained as they walked. “If you hit the target, the person gets dunked in the water.”

 

Jesse blinked and chuckled. “Never heard of it, but it sounds fun. Can’t imagine the person getting dunked having a good time though.”

 

“Eh, depends on the person,” Petra added. “Some people think it’s fun. Others, like today, not so much.”

 

“And that’s why are you and Lukas excited about it again?”

 

“Let’s just say that the people who drew the short straw are not the nicest around.” Petra’s smirk spread across her face again. “And I’ve been dying for some payback.”

 

Lukas was already at the booth when the two women arrived. Aiden wasn’t with him, so Jesse could only assume he didn’t want to join in whatever this “revenge” entailed. He had his arms crossed and a wicked grin on his face, and Jesse could hear him laughing a bit when they got close enough.

 

“I am a happy man today.”

 

Jesse glanced at the booth to see what all the excitement was about. The man running the booth seemed older, possibly even older than Reginald, and was balding but had a white beard. He wore a deep green robe, and he was passing out potatoes for people to throw. Next to him sat a soaking-wet woman with strange bluish hair and dark clothing. Behind and to the right of the booth was a large tank of water with a seat above it. Sitting on the seat was a white-haired man in purple robes, making him seem even more regal than his superior face would imply. Jesse instantly didn’t like that look.

 

“Otto’s running the booth while Hadrian and Mevia get to be the dunkees,” Petra stated. “I’ve already dunked Mevia. Lukas, will you do the honors for Hadrian?”

 

“What’ve you got against these Mevia and Hadrian people?” Jesse asked as Lukas gave an eager nod. She glanced at the man in purple, obviously Hadrian. “What did they do to make you want revenge?”

 

“Mevia is Hadrian’s henchmen, basically,” Lukas illuminated. “And Hadrian has a bad habit of stealing crafting supplies from…from some of our friends.”

 

Jesse’s eye widened. “Stealing? Crafting items?”

 

“Our friend Olivia waited six months before The Founder approved her petition for glowstone dust so she could make a glowstone block. For light, you know.” Petra’s voice nearly became a growl. “And Hadrian stole them from her.”

 

“What?!”

 

“We could never prove it though,” Lukas continued. “And that’s just one instance.”

 

“And you didn’t tell the guards?” Jesse asked. “Or The Founder? She didn’t replace the glowstone dust?”

 

“Well, we never went to The Founder,” Lukas answered, running a hand through his beautiful blond hair.

 

“And the guards?” Petra repeated. “Nah. They didn’t believe us. No proof, remember?”

 

Jesse’s face flushed with anger and she squinted her eyes at the purple-clad man, still sitting and waiting for someone to hit the target. No one was successful, and he was eating it up.

 

 _Eggs would be better,_ Jesse thought.

 

“Bunch of chumps today, Mevia, Otto,” Hadrian bragged, holding his arms behind his back. His smile made Jesse’s stomach twist. “I’ll just stay up here, nice and dry. No one’s hitting the target any time soon. Maybe I’ll take a nap.”

 

Jesse clenched her fists at his nonchalant attitude. “And he’s stolen from a lot of people?”

 

“I’d say he almost makes his living doing it,” Lukas confirmed. “He took my father’s redstone torch the other day.”

 

With a deep frown, Jesse marched over to Otto’s booth and grabbed a potato. She cocked an eyebrow at it.

 

“A potato?” It wasn’t like potatoes were the most aerodynamic things to throw at a target after all. “Are you _trying_ to make it hard to hit the target?”

 

“You’d be surprised at how hard a potato can hit with a solid throw,” Otto professed. “Care to take a shot at it, young lady?”

 

“I think I’m safe up here, buckaroo,” Hadrian taunted, giving Jesse an amused smirk. “I doubt a little girl like you could make this throw.”

 

_We’ll see about that!_

 

Jesse lined herself up with the target for the dunk tank and threw the potato up and down in one hand for a few moments. Petra gave Lukas a curious look, who only had a smile on his face.

 

“You’re going to let her make the shot for you?” Petra asked, puzzled.

 

“Well, you weren’t with us when we were at Ivy’s slime booth earlier.”

 

Jesse gave Lukas a grin before doing a complete one-eighty by giving Hadrian a glare of phenomenal proportions, and for the first time the man looked worried. Her next words were just loud enough to not be called a whisper.

 

“I. Don’t. Like. Thieves.”

 

With that, Jesse wound up and threw the potato straight and true, hitting the target perfectly in the center and with more than enough force to knock it back. Hadrian let out a curse as he plummeted into the tank below, messing up not only his hair but his robe as well. Jesse, Lukas and Petra all let out a whoop of triumph, and Jesse smiled at Hadrian while he sputtered and coughed, climbing out of the tank. He glared at Jesse.

 

“It doesn’t make up for the stolen goods,” Jesse said, turning to her friends. “But it’s a start.”

 

The people gathered around them all cheered, giving Jesse various congratulations. A long line started to form as everyone nearby decided they wanted to take a shot at Hadrian and Mevia as well. The two thieves glared at Jesse for giving the people encouragement to get them dunked. Hadrian appeared to mouth something to Jesse, which she guessed might have been something like, “I’ll be watching you, slugger.” But she couldn’t really be sure. He may have been saying, “All bewitching you slacker” or saying something about slugs. Who knew? Jesse never could read lips.

 

“Nice!” Lukas said, lifting his hand for a high-five. This time, she returned it without hesitation.

 

“Nice arm,” Petra complimented her. “Where’d you learn to throw like that?”

 

Jesse blushed, but only a little bit. “Eh, here and there. And like I said, I don’t like thieves.”

 

“At least someone’s willing to stand up to them,” Lukas commented, his hands on his hips. “That’s more than the guards ever did.”

 

Jesse pressed her lips together. _I wonder if I can find a way to ask Reginald to keep an eye on them without him figuring out I was out here today?_

 

“That’s enough of that,” Petra proclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. “This is a festival! Let’s go enjoy it!”

 

Jesse’s darker thoughts left her in an instant at the reminder of the Spring Festival. “Yeah! What else can we do?!”

 

Lukas laughed and took her hand. “Come on! There’s a ring toss, bobbing for apples, and lots of other things!”

 

Petra followed after the two a little more slowly as they all headed off to enjoy more of the festivities.

 

Hours passed and Jesse honestly could not recall a single moment in her life when she had such a wonderful time! The three of them played pretty much every game the festival had to offer: bowling, throwing darts with balloons, ring toss, bobbing for apples (which Jesse loved even though it got her hair horribly wet) and face painting, among other things. She passed on that last one – the last thing she wanted was for her mother to wonder how she had gotten her face painted – but Lukas had allowed her to paint whatever she wanted on his face. No one was going to give her any praise for her art that could only be described as abstract, but they enjoyed it nonetheless.

 

The fun came to an end and as she watched the sun begin to set. It nearly broke Jesse’s heart.

 

 _This is the best time I’ve had in my life,_ she thought as she watched Lukas and Petra take part in an eating contest. Petra, who claimed to have an iron tongue, was winning. _I don’t want this day to end._

 

It had to though. All good things did, and not even half an hour later did Jesse claim she needed to leave.

 

“I have to get home before my mother starts to wonder where I am,” she explained to her new friends. “I really want to stay longer…”

 

“Why can’t you?” Lukas asked, and Jesse could swear there was a bit of his whine in his tone. “Why would you get in trouble for going to the Spring Festival?”

 

Jesse shook her head. “My mother’s really protective. She didn’t want me to come today. I had to sneak out.”

 

It wasn’t a lie per se, and it was just enough truth that she doubted they would ask exactly who her mother was.

 

“Tough luck,” Petra commented. “What are the chances you can sneak out again?”

 

“Yeah, it’d be really cool to hang out with you again,” Lukas added. “Festival or not.”

 

That made Jesse’s heart soar. These two wanted to see her again! Hang out with her again! Her!

 

“I’d love to!” she announced. “I can try, but I don’t know when I’ll have the chance to get away again. My mother keeps a real close eye on me. Today was kind of an exception.”

 

“Whenever you can would be great though,” Lukas said. “I live at the inn, the one next to the Grand Garden. If you get the chance, come by and say hello.”

 

“I didn’t know there was an inn in Sky City,” she replied. “Why do we need one? It’s not like we have visitors?”

 

Lukas shrugged. “I’ve asked my dad that too. He says that people should always have a place to go in case of any kind of emergency.”

 

“That’s good of him.” Jesse smiled at the concept. “Thinking about others that way.”

 

“Yeah, my dad’s cool.”   Lukas’ cheeks turned a little pink at her compliment. “You should meet him sometime.”

 

“I’d love to!” She glanced back at the sun, which was steadily getting lower and lower in the skin. “…I really go to go now.”

 

Lukas and Petra both looked rather disappointed by this, but Petra tried to give her a hopeful smile.

 

“We’ll see you again soon, okay?”

 

This lifted Jesse’s spirits instantly. To Petra, it wasn’t a question that she would see them again. It was just plain fact.

 

“Yes. I’ll see you later!”

 

Jesse gave each of them a hug (which was a little stiff with Petra, but Jesse ignored that) before they turned and headed their own way. Jesse watched them go for a few minutes, smiling at the laughter the two friends shared and the way Petra gently ribbed Lukas in his side. He said something in response, but Jesse couldn’t hear what. It wasn’t until they were out of sight that she started to head back.

 

Jesse made her way back to the alley where she knew she could climb back to the guard barracks, and from there she could climb back to the side of the palace, to her ladder, and return to her room. It would be no problem at all.

 

As Jesse made her way to the alley, she was unaware of the pair of bright green eyes following her every move up until she entered the dark alley, when those eyes lost track of her.

 

Jesse breathed a huge sigh of relief when she made it back to her room, back to her cage. She was exhausted not only from the trip, but also from the adrenaline created from going back and forth to the festival. She had no idea what she would have done if she had been caught by one of the guards, and she didn’t want to think about what would happen if her mother learned of what she just did.

 

None of that mattered though. She hadn’t been caught and now she was back. Isa never had to know.

 

Jesse ran a hand through her hair, and then scowled at the sweat that came back with it.

 

“Better change clothes,” Jesse said to herself, since she was still wearing her overalls. “Don’t want to leave any evidence behind that Mother could find.”

 

She quickly cleaned up and changed her clothes, this time wearing a long dress with split sleeves. This was more like how Isa preferred Jesse to dress, and although Jesse didn’t really mind, she would like a hand in picking out her own clothes for once.

 

Her timing couldn’t be more perfect, as the moment Jesse was finished and sat down on her bed to rest, there was a loud knock on her door. She jumped with a gasp and took several breathes to calming her racing heart as she stood and went to open the door.

 

She was met with the dark eyes of her tutor. “Good evening, Jesse.”

 

“Hi, Ivor,” she returned. “What’s going on?”

 

“Just coming to say your mother is back and would like you to join her for dinner,” Ivor replied. He raised an eyebrow at her. “Have you been studying all day? I haven’t seen you.”

 

 _Oh shoot!_ “Well, um, not all day, but, uh, you know, just reviewing some recipes.”

 

“Really? Because I knocked early today and you didn’t answer.”

 

Jesse gulped before she could stop herself. “Um, well, I fell asleep after a while. That must’ve been why. Crafting recipes can be tiring, you know?”

 

Ivor didn’t looked convinced, and his crossed arms only emphasized the point. “Uh-huh. I’ve fallen asleep when I was working on some potion recipes before.”

 

_He doesn’t believe me! Crud!_

 

“But I suppose that’s neither here nor there,” Ivor continued, seeming to drop the subject, although the look in his eyes showed Jesse that he was still suspicious. “In any case, The Founder would like to see you. Are you hungry?”

 

“Starved actually!”

 

As the two of them made their way to the dining room, Jesse couldn’t help but have a spring in her step. After the wonderful day she just had, it was nearly impossible for her to not show _some_ sort of happiness. Ivor must have noticed, because he watched her with a raised eyebrow for pretty much the entire journey. If Jesse was hoping to keep her behavior subtle, she was failing miserably.

 

But if Ivor was suspicious of anything, he didn’t say, and the two reached the dining room without much conversation. Isa was already there, standing to the side of the table and speaking with Reginald. A small box sat at their feet, with the lid placed very loosely on top. She didn’t hear her daughter or Ivor enter at first, but Ivor cleared his throat and Isa turned her attention to them. A smile spread across her face and she quickly walked over to give Jesse a hug.

 

“Good evening, dear,” she said. “How was your day?”

 

“Oh, you know.” Jesse gave a noncommittal shrug. “Just studying. Everything work out with the monsters?”

 

“I have a few new scratches, but nothing terribly serious,” The Founder replied. “But something did cross my mind while I was down there.”

 

“Oh? What’s that?”

 

“I kept thinking about you being here in the palace by yourself, and I decided to do something about that.”

 

Jesse sat in one of the chairs and gave her mother a curious look. _She isn’t going to say what I think she’s going to say. No way is she going to let me leave the palace. It’s got to be something else._

 

“Reginald?” The Captain leaned down and picked up and brought it over to them, setting it gently on the table before Jesse. Isa’s smile faded into a bit of sadness. “I know you’re really lonely most of the time, and while I can’t do much about you needing to stay in the palace, I thought I could give you a little companion. Like how I grew up with Benedict.”

 

“Like how you—”

 

Jesse was interrupted when the box began making some squealing noises. Jesse blinked a few times and squinted at the box.

 

_What in the world?_

 

A small, pink snout popped out of the box, partially pushing the lid off. Jesse lifted the lid the rest of the way, and found herself face-to-face with a tiny porcine face. The two stared at each other for a moment before the piglet let out the tiniest of oinks. Jesse let out a squeal that nearly matched the little pig’s, and she pulled him out of the box to cradle him in her arms.

 

“Oh my gosh, he’s adorable!”

 

The pig snuggled further into her arms and let out another set of oinks. Jesse scratched him behind the ears and stroked the brown spot on his back.

 

She looked up at her mother. “He’s really mine? I can keep him?”

 

Isa nodded, and everyone in the room was smiling brightly as Jesse continued to embrace her new friend.

 

_Three new friends in one day! That’s got to be a record or something._


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to quickly say thank you to everyone who commented/left kudos for this story. You guys really make my day!

Isa listened as the clang of metal rang through the palace and she smiled at the sound. To anyone else this might be alarming, but she immediately knew the source and headed that way.

 

As more clangs flew through the air, The Founder finally arrived at the training room a few minutes later. This was her personal training room she had used when she was younger, during the time she was trying to learn how to wield a sword so she could fight the monsters created by the spawn eggs Benedict laid. It had actually been one of the first rooms she had built when she founded Sky City, so it was located on the first floor relatively close to the throne room.

 

When she arrived, Isa spotted her Captain of the Guard and her daughter clashing swords.

 

Clang. “You’re getting better.”

 

Clang. “Thanks, Reginald.”

 

Clang. “That, or I’m getting too old for this.”

 

Clang and a laugh. “Yeah, because you’re just so old!”

 

Clang. “Oh, now you’re going to get it!”

 

Reginald’s larger frame gave him more power, but Jesse was much faster, and she was easily able to hold her own against him. This was no surprise to Isa, however, as she had allowed Jesse to learn how to fight since she was old enough to walk, and Reginald had been in charge of training her in all sorts of combat as she got older.

 

Clang. “Your footwork needs practice. Spread your feet a bit.”

 

Clang. “Got it.”

 

Along with her swordplay, Jesse was using the environment to her advantage as well. There were a couple of practice dummies around the room, which Jesse used for practice when she was younger, and now she was still using them as either barriers to keep Reginald at bay or to give her slightly higher ground. She would even occasionally throw one at her opponent in an attempt to distract or knock him off guard. Jesse was nothing if not resourceful.

 

Clang. “Ouch!”

 

“Sorry!”

 

“I am getting too old for this.”

 

There was, however, one big problem. Not for Jesse, but for Reginald. Ever since Isa had gifted her daughter with a little pig, whom Jesse had named Reuben, the two of them were practically inseparable. As such, Reuben was sitting at the edge of the training room, watching the two practice. Reuben had proved to be more than a little protective of his new owner, especially with all the times he wouldn’t let some of the other guards near her, and this was no more apparent than when Reginald managed to pin Jesse against a wall.

 

Reuben squealed and immediately ran over and gave Reginald a headbutt in his stomach, something that was becoming the little pig’s signature move. His diminutive size didn’t stop him from doing some serious damage when he wanted either. Reginald let out an oomph as his breath left his lungs, but not enough to make him drop his sword. Reuben began jumping up and down as he continued to squeal loudly.

 

Of course, this was enough to distract Reginald so that Jesse saw an opportunity to counter. With a flick of her wrist and circle of her blade, Reginald’s sword went flying out of his hand and onto the floor a number of meters away.

 

Jesse held up her sword in triumph.

 

“Yes! I am the sword master!” Reuben let out a playful oink and she looked down at him. She quickly put her sword away on the wall before reaching down and giving him a big hug. “Or maybe pig master is more like it?”

 

Isa began clapping her hands, and Jesse, Reginald and Reuben all turned to the sound of the applause.

 

“Well done, Jesse,” she said as she walked towards them. “Reginald’s right. You _are_ getting better.”

 

“I’ll be slaying ghasts and creepers in no time flat at this rate,” Jesse declared.

 

Isa walked over to where Reginald’s sword had landed, picking it up and studying it carefully. “I should remind you that you are supposed to be practicing with wooden swords, not iron ones, so no one gets hurt?”

 

Jesse rubbed the back of her head, but her smile didn’t diminish. “Wooden swords won’t last three strikes against even a zombie.”

 

“I was the one who suggested real swords, Ma’am,” Reginald interjected. “Iron has a different weight to it than wood. It would be better for Jesse to become accustomed to the that, since she will rarely be using wooden swords.”

 

“Very true,” Isa acquiesced. “I said I _should_ remind you. Not that I would. I suppose you had to advance to real swords sometime.”

 

“I’m not in trouble then?”

 

“I suppose not.” Reuben ran around Isa in a circle, and she kneeled down to give him a few pats on his head. Isa always thought he was an adorable piglet. “Are you done with training for today?”

 

“I think so,” Jesse said and turned to the captain. “Reginald? Was there anything else today?”

 

“No, Young Miss.” He shook his head. “Well, I was going to give you an introduction to disarming, but…”

 

Reginald trailed off and Jesse smiled. “I swear that was just luck. I’ve never done that before.”

 

“You’re a natural then, Young Miss.”

 

Jesse kept herself from cringing a little at the title, and Reuben gave an unsophisticated snort. Ever since her escapade at the Spring Festival, Jesse had become more and more irritated by any title someone gave her.

 

“Did you need me for something, Mother?” Jesse turned her attention away from Reginald as he went to clean the swords.

 

“I wanted to let you know I will be having audiences for the rest of the day.”

 

“It’s still morning, Mother. That means you’ll be there all day, not just the rest of the day.”

 

Isa chuckled. “I just wanted to tell you—”

 

 _Any chance she’s going to let me sit in on the audiences?_ Jesse thought hopefully.

 

“—to avoid the throne room until dinner this evening,” Isa finished, and Jesse’s spirit immediately fell. “I’m sure you can keep yourself occupied in your room or the library?”

 

“Yeah, I’m sure.” _Can’t let anyone know The Founder has a daughter. Nope. That would be bad, wouldn’t it?_ “I have some books to read. Right, Reuben?”

 

The little pig oinked, but gave Isa an exasperated glance.

 

“Oh, don’t look at me like that,” Isa said to him. “I’m sorry I’m busy, but maybe we can spend some time together tonight? Discuss those books?”

 

Jesse gave a half-hearted smile. “I’d like that.”

 

Isa gave her a hug and then headed on her way. Reginald, who had been watching the whole exchange, came over to her and gave her a soft pat on her shoulder. Jesse rolled her eyes.

 

“I know what you’re going to say,” Jesse stated. “Mother’s just protecting me and I’ll understand when I’m older.”

 

Reginald grinned. “Well, at least she can never say you don’t listen to her words.”

 

“Are you sure you don’t need help?”

 

“I can handle things. It’s just cleaning some swo—”

 

“Captain Reginald!” Another guard whom Jesse recognized as Gabriel. He spotted Jesse and saluted. “Pardon me, Young Miss.”

 

“It’s fine, Gabriel.” _He calls me that too. Everyone does._

 

“Captain, I need to talk to you about these reports,” Gabriel continued. He passed a clipboard over to him. “Margaret told me that Calvin has been submitting his only half finished, and Otis hasn’t submitted any in the last two weeks. Mabel has been late to her patrols since the end of the festival last week as well.”

 

Reginald let out a long sigh. “This is becoming more and more frequent. First Ron and Harry, now them?”

 

“I tried to tell them all this wasn’t acceptable, but they don’t seem to listen to me,” he continued. “I normally wouldn’t bother you with this, but they may take your word more seriously than mine.”

 

“We can only hope the new recruits are more dependable,” Reginald said. “I’ll speak with them. Please excuse us, Young Miss.”

 

“Of course,” Jesse replied. “I don’t suppose hearing from The Founder’s daughter would make these guards more cooperative?”

 

Reginald shook his head with a smile. “Nice try.”

 

“Can you blame me?”

 

“Better see to your books.” The pint-sized swine oinked. “You too, Reuben.”

 

With another oink, Jesse and Reuben made their way back to Jesse’s room. Reuben immediately went over to the little basket next to Jesse’s dresser, covered in blankets that acted as Reuben’s own bed. He nested a little bit and then laid down and gave Jesse a pleased expression.

 

“I’m going to have to make you a bigger bed,” she said. “You’ll grow out of that one pretty soon.”

 

Reuben gave her his own version of a smile as he snuggled further into his bed. Basket beds are _nice_.

 

Jesse took one look at the pile of books at the foot of her bed before shaking her head.

 

“Forget that. Mother’s going to be busy all day and Reginald has other things to distract him.” She gave Reuben a returning grin before walking to the door and locking it. “I’m going out. I’ll see you later, Reuben.”

 

The piglet immediately perked up and watched as Jesse changed out of her dress and back into her overalls. He gave her a worried look and released a matching oink.

 

“Oh, don’t give me that look,” she responded. “You can always oink and make it sound like I’m busy with you. I’ll be fine.”

 

Reuben leapt from his bed and jumped to the window, blocking her from reaching the ladder stuck beneath it.

 

“Sorry, Reuben, but you can’t come with me. I don’t want someone to mistake you for a pork chop.”

 

Oink.

 

“I do _not_ sound just like my mother! Take that back!”

 

Oink!

 

“Okay, yeah, so I don’t want anything to happen to you. How about when you aren’t so small that you could get lost?”

 

…Oink.

 

“Thank you.” Jesse moved to the window and turned to start her climb. “I won’t be long. I have to be back for dinner after all.”

 

Reuben let out a few more sad oinks as she made her way down the ladder.

 

Jesse took the same route as last time, which only encouraged her to think that it was the safe route to take regularly. This was her second day out of the palace, with the first time being at the Spring Festival a week ago, and she truly regretted not taking the chance to go back to the festival for the remaining two days it was celebrated. She would peek out the palace windows, hoping to see someone she recognized like Lukas, Petra or Aiden, but the people there were little more than dots, as they always were, so she could never make them out.

 

 _I have to remember the festival’s not going on anymore,_ she thought as she reached the back alley at the end of her escape route. _It’s probably less crowded now. Can’t let the guards spot me._

 

Although Jesse’s prediction about the streets of Sky City being less packed than before, there were still plenty of people around. Some people kept to themselves, but most were perfectly friendly with her, and she had some nice conversations about their lives and how they were going. Once the topic of weather came around, however, Jesse knew it was time to move on.

 

 _Being isolated all my life doesn’t really help me with making small talk,_ she groaned to herself. _Maybe the library has some books about how to talk to people…Did I really just think I could learn how to talk to people from a book?!_

 

She was brought out of her reverie when she spotted a familiar tuft of blond hair. Even after spending only a few hours with him, Jesse felt she could recognize Lukas from a mile away. He was crouched behind the corner of a building and seemed to be looking for something around it. Next to him was Aiden, who kept his back to the wall and seemed to be waiting for a signal of some kind. They were both holding something round in their hands.

 

Jesse smiled and ran over to them. “Lukas! Aiden!”

 

Lukas twisted his head around to look at her and then put his finger to his lips in a shushing gesture. Aiden gave her a confident smirk.

 

“You’re timing couldn’t be better, Jesse,” he said. “Now you’ll see how revenge is really taken on someone.”

 

“Revenge? What are you talking about?”

 

“Continued revenge, anyway,” Lukas added. He pointed his finger and Jesse followed it. She shared Aiden’s smirk as she spotted what they were watching.

 

Hadrian and Mevia were walking down one of the more secluded streets in town. They chatted with each other like old friends without a care in the world. It was then that Jesse noticed that the items Lukas had in his hands were eggs. For a moment she wondered where they got them, but that was a question for another time.

 

“Are you about to do what I think you’re about to do?” she wondered aloud.

 

Lukas just gave her a mischievous grin. He waited another minute, allowing his targets to reach the perfect spot, before he tossed one egg right at Hadrian’s head. It splattered right into his face, the yolk sticking to his nose, and he let out a cry as he lowered his head and tried to wipe it away.

 

Mevia bent down to help him, but all this did was put her in line for Aiden’s own egg, which hit her in the side of her head. Her blue hair turned a disgusting green as it mixed with the egg, and she stuck a finger into her ear. Some of it must have gotten into her ear.

 

Lukas and Aiden cried out in triumph, but this was a mistake as Hadrian heard exactly where the calls originated. His head snapped up and, with a near growl, sprinted towards the trio. Mevia wasn’t far behind.

 

“Oh shoot!” Lukas yelled. “Run!”

 

Lukas and Aiden were off like rockets, although Jesse was a little more delayed. Lukas grabbed her hand and pulled her along, leading her away from the angry pair. They ducked and weaved between the houses with Hadrian and Mevia calling out for the guards the entire time. Jesse’s feet picked up speed at that. The _last_ thing she wanted was for the guards to show up.

 

As Jesse was about to head down another street that seemed to lead to one of the main courtyards of the city when she was yanked to the side. Lukas pulled her into a small alcove where he and Aiden were hiding. Lukas put his finger to his lips again and Jesse obeyed in being silent. She heard Hadrian’s heavy boots run past her, followed shortly by Mevia’s softer but no less angry steps.

 

They waited for the sounds to fade and then waited an additional few minutes for good measure. Aiden then gave Jesse a confident chortle

 

“Yes!” Aiden cried out. “That’s how it’s done.”

 

“Oh, yeah,” Lukas added, and Jesse burst out into laughter.

 

“I didn’t know I was going to be such a bad influence!” she joked as they climbed out of the alcove. “Have you done that a lot since the festival?”

 

“No, this was the first chance we got,” Lukas reported. “And we didn’t want to lose it.”

 

“Oh. Sorry.” Jesse rubbed the back of her neck. “I’ve got the worst timing.”

 

Aiden shook his head and looked at her through lidded eyes. “Your timing could never be bad.”

 

Jesse flushed a bit at his comment and turned to Lukas to distract herself. “So, uh…”

 

“Told you that you’d get away again.” His smile was contagious. “Your mom out or something?”

 

“She’s very busy today,” Jesse answered. “I snuck out while I had the chance.”

 

“You should sneak out more often,” Aiden added, trying to place himself in the conversation again. “We need to hang out more.”

 

“It’s hard to get away,” she said. _I feel like I’ve told them this…oh, wait. Aiden wasn’t there._ “My mother keeps a close eye on me.”

 

Aiden just shrugged. “Maybe you need to be a little more rebellious.”

 

“Hey, I’m rebellious!” Jesse insisted. “Just…not to the point that I want to get in trouble.”

 

“Speaking of trouble, we probably should get out of here,” Lukas suggested. “I don’t want to take the chance that Hadrian and Mevia will try retrace their steps to try and find us.”

 

“Good point. Let’s go.” Jesse turned to walk somewhere else, but she immediately paused and turned around. “Um, where are we going?”

 

Lukas let out a silent laugh. “Let’s head for the inn. We can get a snack there.”

 

Jesse allowed the boys to lead her across town to a medium-sized, two-story building, surrounded by multiple other, smaller buildings that appeared to be used for storage rather than as home. A large wooden sign simply said “Milo’s Inn” and beneath that was one of the banners with a golden egg motif on it. It was a little shabby, with stone crumbling in a few places, but it still looked like a livable building.

 

Lukas stood next to Jesse as she took in the building, not making eye contact.

 

“Yeah, so, this is, uh, where I live,” he stammered. “With my dad.”

 

“You mentioned him at the festival,” Jesse recalled. “I’d like to meet him.”

 

“He’s pretty cool,” Aiden said, walking ahead of them. “Not as cool as me, but pretty cool.”

 

“Ignore him,” Lukas said, and he walked forward to hold open the entry door, leading them down a small stairway that expanded into a larger room.

 

Jesse came to an open chamber and looked around, taking in every detail she could. There were a couple tables and corresponding chairs, and to the right was a bar where a young man with black hair stood. A door was located to the far right of the room when facing the bar. Glowstone blocks hung from the ceiling to illuminate the room with a soft radiance. Rugs of purple lined the room and above them, on the walls, were a few smaller pictures of various items.

 

To the left was a fireplace, which also had a couple of couches in front where people could warm themselves during some of the colder months. Next to the fireplace was a flight of stairs leading to another floor. Behind the man at the bar was a painting depicted two warriors battling each other, and Jesse guessed by their positions and lack of weapons that they were martial artists. She had only read about them in books. She never tried fighting without a sword, and she doubted her mother would even let her try.

 

Despite the outside appearance, the inn had an incredibly relaxed feeling to it. It was warm and welcoming, and Jesse found herself feeling completely at home here.

 

“I know it’s not much,” Lukas said, embarrassed once again. “But it’s home.”

 

“It’s absolutely lovely!” Jesse declared, feeling more at ease in this room than she had in a long time in the palace.

 

Her comment made Lukas’s face match the glowstone. Aiden’s, meanwhile, darkened as he narrowed his eyes.

 

“You said something about a snack?” he butted in. “Or do I need to go get something myself?”

 

“No, no. We’ve got things.” Lukas turned to the man behind the desk, who gave the blond a friendly smile. “Hi, Phillipe.”

 

“Morning, Lukas. Aiden.” He gave each of them a smile until his eyes stopped on Jesse. “New friend of yours?”

 

“Hi! I’m Jesse!” She went over and strongly shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, Phillipe.”

 

“And same to you.” Phillipe said. “What’s your pleasure?”

 

“Do we still have some of that pumpkin pie leftover from the festival?” Lukas inquired.

 

“I think so. Let me go check.”

 

Phillipe went through the door on the far right, which Jesse figured led to a back room of some kind. Jesse stepped towards Lukas.

 

“Wait, I never paid you back for that cake from the festival.”

 

“You don’t have to pay me back,” Lukas insisted. Aiden began tapping his foot.

“My dad says we should always share what we have, no matter how little.”

 

Jesse looked down and scuffed her feet a little. “He sounds like a good man.”

 

“I like to think so,” Lukas laughed. “Though I might be a little biased.”

 

“It’s easy to get pie from another person,” Aiden announced suddenly. He took a seat at the bar and spun around, allowing him to spread his arms along the length of the bar. “I can craft some mean pumpkin pie. I should do it for you sometime.”

 

“That’s very sweet of you, Aiden,” Jesse replied. “But I know it can be hard to get The Founder to approve a petition for crafting supplies. You don’t have to do that.”

 

All he did in response was wave a hand dismissively. “You’d be surprised where I can get supplies.”

 

_What on earth does he mean by that?_

 

Lukas looked like he wanted to respond to Aiden’s pronouncement, but he closed his mouth when Phillipe returned with three pieces of pumpkin pie and laid them out on the bar.

 

“Here you go, lady and gentlemen.”

 

“Thanks, Phillipe.”

 

The three tucked in. Jesse couldn’t help but notice that the pie tasted just slightly different from the ones she previously had in the palace. It wasn’t bad. Far from it, in fact. The taste was tangier than usual, and it gave her a warm feeling in her chest as she swallowed. What was different about this one?

 

 _Does food taste different when made by different hands?_ She wondered as she chewed.

 

The three enjoyed their pie and conversation for quite some time. Phillipe also joined in with a couple comments of his own. It wasn’t like the inn was busy or anything, so there wasn’t much for him to do other than socialize.

 

Jesse jumped when the front door to the inn burst open, only to be quietly closed once the new occupant saw that there was company. His hair along with his moustache and small beard were of a similar shade to Lukas’, although he kept it partly covered by a red beret. His clothing was scruffy, seeming to match the state of the inn perfectly. His suspenders partly fell off his right shoulder, contrasting his brown pants instead of his grey shirt. He carried a small clipboard, which he dropped onto the seat next to him as he plopped down in front of the fire.

 

Lukas let out a low whistle. “Oh boy.”

 

“Looks like your dad’s in a bad mood,” Aiden whispered. “I think I’m going to take off, Lukas.”

 

“Yeah.” Lukas didn’t seem to pay much attention to his friend, however. He left the remains of his pie at the bar and walked over to join the man on the opposite couch.”

 

Aiden cleared his throat. “Jesse, you want to come? I can show you a tower with a nice view of the city.”

 

 _I’ve got the best view of the city back home._ “Maybe some other time, Aiden.”

 

He pressed his lips together in a tight frown, but nonetheless exited the inn without another word.

 

Jesse quietly made her way over to the pair. She noticed how the similarities between the two were irrefutable. This had to be Lukas’ father. As she approached, she spotted the clipboard the man had dropped on his way in. She recognized the form immediately. It was a petition that citizens of Sky City had to submit in order to receive supplies from The Founder for crafting or building. This one was simple, asking for nothing more than a book and quill. Across the top in large, red, bold letters was the word “Denied.”

 

Her eyebrows furrowed together. Her mother had rejected a petition for something like a book and quill. Why? They were innocuous enough items. What was Isa so worried about? How could a quill and bound paper be dangerous?

 

Jesse wasn’t sure if she should speak, so she just watched the two men as they whispered to each other. Lukas eventually glanced up at her. She didn’t like to see him bite his lip in such a vulnerable manner.

 

“Excuse me,” she said, purposely keeping her voice down. “I don’t mean to intrude, but are you all right, sir?”

 

Lukas’ father rubbed his eyes and then looked up at her. With shining eyes, he put on a plastered smile.

 

“Hello, miss,” he said at last. “What can I do for you?”

 

“Dad, this is Jesse,” Lukas introduced. “My new friend from the Spring Festival?”

 

Jesse blushed as she sat down. _He’s talked about me?_

 

“Ah, so this is the young lady who’s caught my boy’s eye.” The man stood and held out a hand. “I’m Milo, Lukas’ father. It’s a pleasure to meet the famous Jesse.”

 

“Well, I don’t know about famous.” In fact, being anonymous around town was her most important weapon. “We just met at the festival and kind of hit it off.”

 

Milo just chuckled. “Hit it off, huh?”

 

“Dad, cut it out,” Lukas demanded, hiding his eyes behind his right hand.

 

“You saw…The Founder today?” Jesse glanced at the clipboard, barely stopping herself from calling her Mother.

 

“Yes.” Milo’s tone immediately dropped. “Another rejected petition.”

 

“Why? A book and quill?” She tilted her head just slightly. “What’s wrong with that?”

 

“Nothing really. It doesn’t have to do with the items,” he explained. “It stems from something that happened a long time ago.”

 

“The Founder’s denied Dad’s petitions for as long as I can remember,” Lukas added.

 

There was a crash from behind the bar, and Phillipe let out a curse. Everyone else stopped to look at him.

 

“You okay there, Phillipe?” Milo called.

 

“I’m okay!” he yelled back from the room behind the bar. “Dropped a few boxes.”

 

“I’ll be right there.”

 

“I can handle it, Dad,” Lukas stopped him, standing and quickly moving to join Phillipe in the back room. “You just relax.”

 

Jesse took a seat across from Milo and gave him an encouraging smile. It must have helped, because he visibly relaxed. He grabbed the petition from its place next to him and threw it in the fire.

 

“My apologies,” he said. “I tend to get a bit surly after an audience with The Founder.”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Jesse replied. “I’d be pretty upset too.”

 

“Lukas does talk a lot about you.” Milo gave her a small smile. “Wish I could’ve met you when I was in a better mood.”

 

Jesse glanced away for a brief moment. “Lukas said this has happened for a long time? Why?”

 

“That is a long story. You have a few days to hear it?”

 

Jesse laughed. _Guess you must have a sense of humor to cope with constant rejection._

 

“A long time ago, I was just your everyday citizen of Sky City,” he described. “Just a normal man with a beautiful wife and expecting his first child.”

 

Jesse nodded and smiled. _Let me guess who that child was._

“I still don’t know why Ainsley chose me,” Milo said, and his eyes floated away a little. “I was the luckiest man alive, and I wanted to give her nothing but the best.”

 

 _I wonder where she is now,_ Jesse thought, but bit her tongue. _Lukas hasn’t mentioned her. it might be a sensitive topic._

 

“I wanted to grow fresh vegetables for her. They were supposed to be good for the baby, you know?” Milo’s glance moved back to the fire where the petition had become crackling embers. “A few other friends were willing to give me some seeds to plant, so I put in a petition for a dirt block and, mercy me, it was granted!”

 

“Well, that’s a good thing, right?” Jesse asked. Milo exhaled loudly.

 

“I thought so too, at the time. I was so excited to build my garden, I was practically dancing!” The spark in his eyes vanished and he sighed. “I tripped, and I dropped my new block and it fell…right over the edge into the Void.”

 

Jesse let out a small gasp. “Oh, no.”

 

“I was charged with Egregious Wasting of Resources, and I was tossed into The Founder’s dungeon…”

 

 _Wait, this is starting to sound familiar…_ Jesse’s eyes widened as she suddenly recalled why. _That must’ve been when Mother started being stricter about distributing dirt blocks for gardens! Why the lines for food are so long!_

 

“…and I was in there for a very, very long time.” Milo finished and then glanced up at where Lukas was still helping Phillipe at the bar. “Long enough to miss my son’s birth, and over ten birthdays after that.”

 

Jesse followed his gaze and gulped. _I always thought about it like people should be allowed to build. I never crossed my mind that a person thrown in jail would…_

 

“By the time I was released, my son was already grown,” he continued. “I missed so much, all because of a dirt block.”

 

“Gosh, I can’t imagine…” Jesse was speechless. How do you comfort someone regarding something like this?

 

“All I wanted was to provide a garden for my wife.” Milo’s voice was barely a whisper now. “And instead I all but abandoned her for years.”

 

“But…” Jesse stuttered for a moment. “It was an accident. It’s not like you meant to drop that block into the Void.”

 

“No, I didn’t, but that didn’t matter to The Founder.” Now Milo’s words almost turned into a snarl, and Jesse couldn’t blame him.

 

 _I knew Mother was strict, but…why would she do something like this?_ Jesse couldn’t bear to meet Milo’s eye. Her mother had made it so he missed his son’s childhood. _I guess I’ve been more sheltered than I thought._

 

Jesse found her own tone becoming rather dark when she next spoke. “That’s ridiculous. You shouldn’t have been punished for something that wasn’t even your fault! I bet The Founder has tripped and fallen too! Dropped things too!”

 

 _In fact, I_ know _she has,_ Jesse joked, but she kept that to herself. No need to let Milo know that her mother in fact had two left feet when it came to dancing. He might ask how she knew about that.

 

Milo, meanwhile, was suddenly laughing, surprising Jesse a little bit. He seemed to switch emotions in a split second. “The Founder will accuse you of treason, with that language.”

 

“I’d like to see her try,” she challenged, her head held high. “Seriously, the laws saying people can only build and craft if she says so are absurd. There’s some risk to building, sure, but that doesn’t mean no one should do it.”

 

Milo raised an eyebrow at her, and Jesse was suddenly worried she had spoken her mind too much. She might not agree with Isa’s rules, but that didn’t mean that there weren’t plenty of citizens who agreed wholeheartedly with her. Milo didn’t seem to be one of those people – honestly, with his past, how could he be? – but having only met the man a few minutes ago, Jesse could very well have judged wrong.

 

The face he was giving her didn’t seem to be disapproving though. If anything, he seemed to be trying to keep his lips from curving into a smile.

 

Lukas finally finished what he was doing with Phillipe and joined them again. Jesse breathed a mental sigh of relief. Not a moment too soon.

 

“Lukas, I only have on thing to say,” Milo declared, and her relief instantly evaporated with a gulp. Lukas stared at them with wide eyes. “I _really_ like this girl.”

 

“…What?” Jesse couldn’t be sure if she said that or if Lukas had.

 

“She listens really well, she’s sympathetic, and she thinks for herself,” Milo listed off, not letting his smiling eyes leave Jesse’s face. “It’s an honor to meet you, Jesse.”

 

“Oh man, what did you say to him?” Lukas inquired; his blue eyes the size of diamonds. “Dad’s never taken to anyone so quickly before.”

 

“Um, we were just talking about how unfair The Founder’s laws are?” Jesse was barely able to keep her voice stable.

 

Lukas guffawed. “Well, that explains everything!”

 

“I may be a bit biased on the topic, but anyone who stands up for her beliefs is good in my book,” Milo jested with a shrug, then gave his son a smirk. “I can see why she caught your eye.”

 

“Dad! Will you knock it off!”

 

Jesse laughed at the pair’s antics, the mood of the room no longer as glum as it had been when Milo first entered.

 

 _Even though Milo missed a good chunk of it, at least he has a good relationship with Lukas now,_ she thought as Milo threatened to show Jesse some of Lukas’ baby pictures, to which the younger man simply groaned and covered his face with his hands.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Season 2 Episode 2 is being released on the 15th! I'm not patient enough for this...

Life was going pretty well for Lukas.

 

In the weeks following the Spring Festival, things seemed to settle down into a routine. He still hung out with Petra and Aiden, since Petra’s guard training hadn’t started yet and Aiden was around as usual. His dad’s petitions continued to be denied, but that was nothing new. Milo had his hands full with other, secret things, which only served to distract him from the rejections. Meanwhile, Lukas avoided Hadrian and Mevia like the plague. After the egg incident, he didn’t want to incur their wrath anytime soon.

 

Of course, the best thing about life was Jesse. Lukas was both relieved and pleased that she was able to sneak away from home every couple of days, and she always made her way to Milo’s inn first thing. The two of them would spend the entire day together, frequently accompanied by Petra and Aiden. Milo was always welcoming to her as well, and often told her that she should stop by more often. He wished it was more often, but he could tell be Jesse’s expressions and words that she was coming as often as she could manage.

 

Lukas was learning more and more about Jesse every day. She loved hugs and seemed to give a different one to each of her new friends. She later told him that she catalogued the hugs that each friend preferred. She was a vegetarian (something that made carnivore Petra’s jaw drop) but did not force it on other people, and her favorite food was potatoes. Despite being horribly clumsy (she stubbed her toe seemingly on nothing at least once per visit), Lukas was amused to find that Jesse was also ambidextrous. She was quite the juggler when she was given a couple apples to throw around.

 

Jesse was also a very generous person. She shoved some coins at Lukas to pay for the cake he bought for her at the Spring Festival, and absolutely would not take no for an answer. Lukas had to put his foot down when she offered to pay Milo for food every time she came to visit. He didn’t want her to think they needed the money, although the inn wasn’t bringing in the revenue they often needed for basic things like clothing (hence the reason Milo’s clothes were a bit tatty). However, Lukas occasionally found a few coins hidden here and there on the bar or in his pockets, coins that he was positive hadn’t been in those places previously.

 

 _How in the world does she sneak money into my pocket without me noticing?_ Jesse, obviously, always played dumb when he asked her this question.

 

Jesse did seem to have secrets however. She refused to let either Lukas or Petra follow her to her house, even when the sun was setting and Lukas wanted to make sure she got home safely. She was very vague on the topic of her parents, although she was willing to share that she had no siblings. The extent she was willing to share was to talk about how restrictive her mother was, which was why she had to sneak out to see them in the first place, but Lukas already knew that. She seemed to alternatively know things he had never heard of before, such as some crafting or brewing recipes, but then she wouldn’t know something like how to make small talk…or how to recognize flirting.

 

Whenever they were in the same place, Aiden was a completely different person with Jesse. He would ogle her and try to impress her, and seemed to touch her more than Lukas was comfortable with. The time Aiden put his arm around her waist, Lukas’ chest burned, and he couldn’t place the reason why. Aiden was especially pushy with her when talking about building, an ability that Aiden was more than proud of. Most of it seemed to go over Jesse’s head and Lukas was glad for that naiveté, though it might have more to do with her simply humoring Aiden. Lukas could only hope so. She clearly knew more about building than either of them did.

 

“Do you want to tell him or should I?” Petra once asked him.

 

“Tell him what?” Lukas inquired.

 

“That Jesse’s off limits.”

 

“What?”

 

Petra face palmed. “Seriously?”

 

Lukas gave her a bemused look. “What are you talking about?

 

“Lukas, you know I’m not into sappy stuff,” she said with a frown. “But even _I_ can see the dopey eyes you give her when she’s not looking.”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

Petra scoffed. “Right. And I grow flowers for a living.”

 

Weeks came and went, and Lukas tried his hardest to not make a fool of himself in front of Jesse. She didn’t seem to mind any of his quirks, like his interest in writing and his compete lack of talent at any sort of combat.

 

The seasons were getting colder when Milo decided to initiate another big change in Lukas’ life.

 

“Lukas, come on! What’s going on?” Jesse asked as Lukas dragged her to his father’s inn. “You’re really excited today!”

 

“It’s just going to be a good day,” he answered, beaming at her and refusing to let go of her hand. “Trust me.”

 

“ _Something’s_ going on,” she insisted, smiling as well. “I’ve never seen you smile like this.”

 

“Just wait and see!”

 

Milo was already standing in the middle of the inn’s lobby, his hands held behind his back, when the two arrived. Philippe closed the entryway door and locked it, and Lukas saw Jesse watch him do so with a confused face.

 

“Okay,” she said, drawing the word out. “Something _really_ secret then?”

 

“Very secret,” Milo answered. “Jesse, we’ve known each other for a while now, and I feel like you are an open-minded and trustworthy individual.”

 

“Thanks?” Jesse glanced at Lukas with a raised eyebrow. He just crossed his arms and continued to grin.

 

“As such, I believe you are honorable enough to keep certain information confidential,” Milo continued.

 

“Oh, you have no idea,” she muttered, barely audible to Lukas’ ears.

 

“Such information that could have horrifying consequences if it were to become common knowledge,” Milo said. Lukas rolled his eyes at the recitation. He did this with every potential new member. “Revealing it would not only put myself in danger, but everyone else involved as well, including my son.”

 

“Dad, will you stop being dramatic?” Lukas scolded with an exasperated sigh. “He’s always does this.”

 

“I still have no idea what’s even going on,” Jesse stated. Her eyebrows had practically disappeared into her hair.

 

“Oh, very well. You take all the fun out of it, Lukas.” Milo shrugged his shoulders and pretended to look disappointed. This was clearly an act, if his immediate return to his normal self was any indication. “Jesse, before I reveal this to you, you must take an oath. An oath to never divulge anything of what I’m about to show you. Do you understand?”

 

Jesse glanced at Lukas, who just nodded. “I understand.”

 

“And do you swear?”

 

“Milo, whatever this is about,” Jesse said, holding her right hand up. “I solemnly swear that I will never tell your secret to anyone else.”

 

Milo’s smile brightened. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

 

“Philippe?” Lukas signaled to the barman, who flipped a switch hidden beneath the counter.

 

An opening appeared behind the two men, with the stone sliding down to reveal a larger room inside. Jesse jumped a little at the sound.

 

“Right this way,” Milo said as they walked in, the entrance immediately closing behind them.

 

Lukas watched as Jesse’s eyes darted around at the sight before them. The room was two stories high, indicating that the lower floor had been dug into the ground beneath the inn. The upper floor was open to the bottom one, with a wooden rail keeping anyone from falling over the edge. Tables and chairs were scattered about the room on both stories, with the tables marked off to appear like crafting tables, although they couldn’t function as one. There were a couple true crafting tables, but they were few and far between. Red rugs lined the floor and there were various paintings of items hung on the walls. Redstone torches provided light for the people there, along with a collection of glowstone on the ceiling.

 

Lukas couldn’t be sure, but it looked like there were over two dozen people there. Many of them were going around and practicing crafting recipes. There was a substantial amount of noise from the conversations going on, and a few cries of joy when someone managed to successfully craft an item.

 

Jesse ran to the railing and grabbed it, looking around with bright green eyes and taking in everything she could. Her mouth hung open in wonder.

 

“Whoa! What is this?!” Her tone wasn’t reproachful at all. Instead, it oozed curiosity.

 

“This…” Milo paused, for dramatic effect. “…is Build Club.”

 

“Build Club,” she repeated. She turned to them with a wide smile. “A secret Build Club?”

 

“We can’t go around declaring it’s here, can we?” Lukas joked.

 

“Yes, The Founder is completely unaware that this club exists,” Milo explained. “While I was in prison, I realized that just because building is risky, it doesn’t mean no one should do it.”

 

Jesse gave an emphatic and supportive nod.

 

“So, once I was released from prison, I decided that The Founder’s restriction on building wasn’t a good enough reason to not build at all.” Milo led the two to a small set of stairs leading to the lower level. “I found like-minded people, and together we started this Build Club. Everything you see before you was built from resources that my people have saved or…obtained.”

 

 _Which means we steal them,_ Lukas thought. If Jesse wanted to say anything against that, neither her voice nor her facial expression gave it away.

 

“And since you seemed to agree with our position regarding the laws,” Milo offered. “I was hoping you would consider becoming a full member of our club.”

 

If it was possible for Jesse’s face to brighten even more than it already was, it did. “I would love to! This is awesome!”

 

Milo returned her grin. “Then welcome to Build Club!”

 

“Come on,” Lukas said. “I’ll introduce you to some of my friends.”

 

They descended the stairs, giving a better view of the small wooden stage beneath the upper deck, where a single crafting table was located. A couple blocks of iron sat behind that.

 

“Lukas! Jesse!” a voice belonging to Petra called out. She waved them down from the far end of the room, where she sat with another young woman wearing an red outfit. “Over here!”

 

The pair quickly sprinted to the table and Lukas smiled at them both. “Hey, Petra, Olivia. This is Jesse. She literally just joined.”

 

“Bout time,” Petra said. “Sure took Lukas long enough to bring you here—”

 

“Oh, who asked you?”

 

“—but it’s good too see you.” Petra waved to the girl in red. “This is Olivia.”

 

The girl waved. “Nice to meet you.”

 

“Same here!” Jesse declared, sticking her hand out to shake Olivia’s. She paused. “Wait, I’ve seen you before, haven’t I?”

 

Olivia squinted her eyes, then realization came over her. “Yeah, weren’t you the one who smacked into me at the Spring Festival?”

 

Jesse rubbed the back of her neck. “Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. I was really excited.”

 

“I noticed,” she laughed. “In any case, welcome to Build Club.”

 

“Thanks.” Jesse sat down next to Olivia, and Lukas took a seat next to Petra. “So, what do we do here?”

 

“Go over crafting recipes mostly,” Olivia explained, tucking her black hair back under her green hat. She gestured to the sticks and string sitting on the table. “I’m working on one right now.”

 

“Olivia’s awesome with redstone,” Lukas said. “She wired up most of the lights here, and she made the secret entrance. She’s probably the best of us with it.”

 

“For all the good it does me. I can’t get The Founder to approve my petitions for some,” Olivia revealed, and Jesse pressed her lips together. “Right now I’m just trying to figure out the recipe for a bow. I just can’t seem to get it right.”

 

“And that’s saying something,” Petra commented. “Olivia’s a braniac, so if she can’t figure it out…”

 

“I’ll get it eventually,” the other girl protested.

 

“I can show you, if you like,” Jesse offered. Olivia blinked at her. “Unless you want to figure it out yourself. It’s good to experiment, learn on your own.”

 

“Wait, you know how to craft a bow?” Lukas asked.

 

“Well, yeah.”

 

There was a pause before Olivia spoke again. “Please, show me!”

 

Jesse grabbed the sticks and string and headed for a crafting table. The others followed, and Jesse waited until they were surrounding the table before placing the string in a straight line in one column. She placed the sticks on the top and bottom of the middle column, and then the last stick went in the middle row of the left column, creating a curve of wood. She pulled her hands away and waited for the table to pull the items together, and a bow popped into existence.

 

The group except Jesse gave out a gasp, and Olivia took the bow to get a closer look at it.

 

“Of course! It’s so simple!” she said. “Now I feel really stupid for not figuring it out.”

 

“You’re not stupid. You just didn’t know.” Jesse gave her a pat on her shoulder. “It’s not like I was born knowing how to build.”

 

“Do you know many other recipes?” Petra inquired.

 

Jesse blushed a bit. “I know a few. It’s no big deal.”

 

“Can you show us?” Lukas requested. “None of us here know a lot of recipes.”

 

“Well, uh…” Jesse nibbled on her bottom lip. “I don’t know that much, but I can show you what I do know?”

 

It was more of a question than an agreement, and Lukas chuckled. She was so cute when she was nervous. “We’re not here to judge you, Jesse.”

 

“Yeah, this is about learning how to build and enjoy it. That’s what everyone’s here for,” Petra announced. She looked over Jesse’s head, and her mouth scowled. “Well, maybe not everyone.”

 

“What do we have here?” Aiden seemed to pop out from nowhere and gave Olivia a sneer. “A loser with a bow? Don’t know about that, Olivia. That might be too sophisticated for you.”

 

“Lay off, Aiden,” Petra warned as Olivia visibly deflated. “I don’t see you crafting a bow.”

 

“I could if I wanted to,” he declared. “And I don’t need someone else to do it for me.”

 

“Aiden, lay off, will you?” Lukas asked. “We’re all friends here, remember? Everybody being cool.”

 

“I’m the only cool person around here,” Aiden argued back. He cocked his head at Jesse and smirked. “Well, maybe not the only cool person.”

 

Jesse averted her eyes. Aiden didn’t seem to like this, as he quickly grabbed the bow out of Olivia’s hand, causing Jesse to look up at him in annoyance. Olivia, meanwhile, let out a cry.

 

“Hey!”

 

“You know, I’ve never tried reversing the crafting process,” he said as he looked over the bow with a critical eye. “Jesse, why don’t you help me figure out how to turn this bow back into sticks and string?”

 

Lukas felt a growl in his chest at his friend. _Why is he acting like this?_

 

“Aiden, that’s not fair!” Olivia cried and moved to grab the bow again. Aiden simply held it above his head, and his extra height over Olivia stopped her from reaching it. She let out a sigh and went to sit down again.

 

“Aiden, give that back, right now.” Lukas was a bit stunned at the darkness in Petra’s tone. “Or I will make you.”

 

“Let me think about it…Nah,” he teased.

 

“Aiden, you know how hard it is for us to get supplies,” Lukas reminded him.

 

“Yeah, it’s not easy to come by some of this stuff,” Petra added. “Stop keeping it all for yourself.”

 

“Wait, he’s done this before?” Jesse asked, looking at each of them and stopping at Olivia, as if she had all the answers. “Olivia?”

 

“Well, yeah,” the dark-haired girl answered with a voice that was barely a whisper. “It doesn’t matter—”

 

“Yes, it does!” Jesse professed. She put her hands on her hips and gave Aiden a dark look. “Taking resources from other people? That doesn’t make you any better than Hadrian!”

 

Aiden’s eyes widened at her declaration, but he quickly recovered and rolled his eyes. “Resources should go to the people who can really use them. I’m the best builder in Build Club, so I should get the best resources.”

 

Lukas could practically hear Jesse grinding her teeth. “Now you sound like The Founder.”

 

“Come on, Jesse. Don’t be like that,” he said, putting his arm around her shoulder, and Lukas felt that burning again. Jesse immediately pushed him off though, making Aiden give her a shocked look. “I can show you how to build some pretty cool things. Let’s go over here and try it out.”

 

“No, thanks.” Jesse clicked her tongue a few times. “I don’t need you to show me how to build.”

 

“Is that right? I told you, I’m the best builder here.”

 

“I think I know my way around a crafting table better than you, Aiden.”

 

Lukas glanced around and noticed that they were starting to attract a crowd, including his own father. Everyone seemed to be watching them silently, and Lukas could only guess that they were curious if a fight was going to break out. He had been so absorbed with watching Jesse that he hadn’t realized everyone else in the club had come over to watch the commotion.

 

“Uh, Jesse? Aiden?” he said. “Maybe you two need to cool it a bit.”

 

Aiden just ignored his friend. “You think you can out-build me, Jesse?”

 

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I _know_ I can.”

 

“How about you prove it then?” Lukas did not like the intense look in Aiden’s eyes. “What do you say to a little competition?”

 

“Competition?” Now Lukas didn’t like the interest in Jesse’s tone. “A building competition?”

 

Aiden glanced around at the rest of Build Club, who had started whispering to each other. Who was this new member? Did she really think she could build better than Aiden? She was one of the few who ever stood up to him. Where did she come from?

 

“Everyone, we’re going to have a build-off!” The crowd cheered at his declaration.

 

“Well, I didn’t expect you to do that on your first day here,” Milo commented. Jesse gave him a helpless shrug and smile, and he just shook his head. “I’ll go get some supplies from the storage.”

 

Milo headed off to a corner of the room, followed by a couple other builders.

 

“So, how is this supposed to work?” Jesse asked Lukas, turning her body to face him and away from Aiden, whose nose scrunched at the snub. “This competition?”

 

“Well, each person is allowed whatever supplies they want to craft whatever they want,” Lukas described. “The rest of us decide which of the items crafted is the best, based on a vote. Whoever has the most vote, obviously, wins.”

 

“Let’s not forget the terms,” said Aiden. “What the winner gets from the loser.”

 

“Okay.” Jesse glanced back at Olivia before turning her attention back to Aiden. “If I win, you swear to never bother Olivia again, and no taking her items or resources from her.”

 

“I can agree to that.”

 

“And if you win?”

 

Aiden steepled his fingers, pretending to look like he was thinking, but Lukas recognized that expression. Aiden knew exactly what he wanted.

 

“A date.”

 

Jesse raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

 

“A date. With me.”

 

Olivia looked like she wanted to protest, and Petra simply was dumbfounded, her mouth hanging down. Lukas had to suppress the snarl emanating from his mouth.

 

“Seriously Aiden?” he said, pulling on his blond hair. “Jesse’s not—”

 

“Okay, deal.” Now the three were staring at Jesse, all of them astonished. “Let’s do this.”

 

“I get to go first, okay?”

 

“Sure.”

 

Aiden spun on his heel and headed for the stage, where Milo and a few other Build Club members had brought various resources and piled them on stage left. As Aiden started picking out a few items out of the mound, Jesse turned to her friends.

 

“Um, guys?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. “What’s a date?”

 

“What?” Petra said.

 

“A date? What is that?”

 

The group was silent. Lukas and Petra looked at each other with horrified expressions, and Olivia stared at her with openmouthed.

 

“You…don’t know…what a date is?” Olivia questioned.

 

“Never heard of it…well, other than what you put on a calendar, but I don’t think that’s what Aiden means.”

 

Lukas coughed into his sleeve, trying to gather his thoughts of how to explain this. Well, as knowledgeable as Jesse was, he shouldn’t have been surprised she didn’t know what a date was. She didn’t know what a high-five was when they first met, after all. Just another thing she was naïve about.

 

“Okay, Jesse, here’s the thing,” Petra answered at last. “All you need to know is you need to build the best thing you can think of.”

 

Jesse gave a nervous laugh. “That bad, huh?”

 

“Yeah, that bad,” Lukas agreed. “Petra’s right. You need to build like you’ve never built before.”

 

Jesse’s green eyes darted back and forth between them and started biting her lip again.

 

Aiden was finally ready to start his build. He was allowed to either build something with blocks or craft something on the crafting table provided on the stage. The important thing was that whatever he built had to be watched by everyone else, to make sure he actually made the item and didn’t jus get it from someone else. Lukas glanced around, seeing that everyone in the club had moved to watch the competition. A few people even climbed the stairs to the second floor to get a better look from the railings.

 

Lukas couldn’t see exactly what Aiden was crafting, but he was using sticks and string, just like Jesse did with the bow.

 

 _No way he’s just going to make another bow,_ he thought. _Everyone else just saw Jesse doing it. That wouldn’t prove he’s a better builder._

 

His curiosity was sated when Aiden finished placing his items on the table and he heard the telltale sound of an item being created. He lifted it up above his head so everyone else could see, and the audience burst out into applause.

 

Petra coughed. “It’s a fishing pole.”

 

“Not like we go fishing very often,” Olivia commented, her lips pressed together. “But not a lot of people know how to make that. Man, Jesse’s going to lose.”

 

Jesse gave her a confident smile. “Faith, Olivia.”

 

“What?”

 

“Just a little? I mean, a fishing pole?” Jesse scoffed and blew a raspberry. “Let me show you something really cool.”

 

Jesse headed up to the stage, passing Aiden as she went. He smirked at her and said something, but Lukas couldn’t hear it. Jesse shook her head as she reached the pile of crafting supplies. She shifted them around a bit, but quickly grabbed two iron ingots and a single stick.

 

“What’s she building?” Petra wondered aloud, to which Lukas could only shrug.

 

“No idea,” he responded. “She knows a lot about building though, so she could be making anything.”

 

“Where did you say she learned how to build?” Olivia asked.

 

Lukas opened his mouth to answer, but he found himself pausing. “I didn’t say. I don’t know.”

 

No one could see the pattern of the recipe Jesse was using, but it wasn’t more than a minute later that she had finished and an iron sword appeared on the table. She swung it around a few times before lifting it above her head so everyone could see. The club members that didn’t let out gasps of awe were instead staring at it with mouths agape.

 

“That’s a sword!” someone called out. “That’s what the guards carry around!”

 

Milo walked up to Jesse to take a closer look at the weapon. “How in the heavens do you know how to craft that? None of us figured out how!”

 

“It’s a simple recipe,” Jesse replied. “I can show you.”

 

“Please do!”

 

Cheers from the audience continued as Jesse held out the sword to Milo. He tentatively took it and swung it once, getting a feel for its weight.

 

“Amazing!” he cried.

 

“You can keep it, Milo,” she offered, and Milo’s eyebrows rose at her. “As thanks for trusting me, you know?”

 

“You don’t need to repay me for that, Jesse, but I thank you nonetheless!” Milo turned to the other members of Build Club. “All those in favor of Jesse’s build, raise your hand.”

 

Lukas shot his up first, followed by Petra and Olivia, and soon nearly everyone else in the room. Aiden held his fishing pole at his side and frowned, his furrowed brow clearly showing he wasn’t sure how to react to losing so badly to the newest club member. Jesse descended from the small stage and walked over to him.

 

“Remember the deal,” she said seriously. “Don’t bother Olivia, ever again.”

 

Aiden huffed but nodded stiffly. “Fine. Just remember, I don’t give up that easily.”

 

He then turned and walked away, heading to the stairs leading to the upper floor of the club. Jesse just shrugged, apparently not sure what to make of that.

 

“Sorry, Jesse,” Lukas said as he joined her. “I really don’t know what’s gotten into him. I mean, he’s been cocky before, sure, but now he’s just being…I don’t know…”

 

“A creep?” Petra suggested.

 

The roars of the crowd finally began to die down. Milo went to Jesse and patted her on her shoulder, nearly knocking her down.

 

“Well, Jesse, on your first day at Build Club, you not only showed off your crafting skills, but also managed win a competition hands down against one of our best builders,” he teased. “You sure know how to make an entrance.”

 

Jesse just shrugged again, her teeth glistening in the light of the redstone torches. “No big deal. I’ll share all the recipes I know.”

 

“We are in your debt if you do, Jesse.”

 

“Yeah, nice one!” Petra congratulated her. “Bout time Aiden got put in his place.”

 

“What else can you make?” Lukas asked, his blue eyes brimming with the desire to learn. “I know how to make levers, buckets and some special blocks, but I’ve never tried something like a sword before.”

 

Jesse’s cheeks turned pink. “I, uh, well, let’s start with something basic. Do you know how to make a shovel?”

 

“No. Show me how?”

 

“Okay, okay, but before we officially induct you into the club,” Olivia interjected, holding up her index finger. “There’s one very, _very_ important question you need to answer first.”

 

Jesse’s expression became perplexed again. “What’s that?”

 

“Would you rather fight a hundred chicken-sized zombies, or ten zombie-sized chickens?”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s a special shout out to TheAmberShadow, one of the regular reviewers of this fic, in this chapter. Thanks a bunch for the idea!

Petra let out a long, low whistle as she stared at the training grounds of Sky City.

 

She had been escorted around the palace and to the far edge of the island, along with a number of other guard trainees. The space was a long rectangle with long grass, which Petra could only presume was to keep the trainees from hurting themselves too badly when they inevitably fell to the ground as they exercised. The grunts coming from some of the guards practicing such maneuvers only proved her point.

 

Wooden fences surrounded the grounds, separating everyone from both the edge of the island leading to the Void and from the streets leading to Sky City proper. The wood was certainly high enough to keep anyone from climbing over unless they had a couple blocks of gravel to spare (which Petra did, but no one needed to know that). Training dummies and armor stands were scattered around the training area, and a couple guard beginners were already practicing their skills with them.

 

A long table was located at the entrance to the training grounds with a small gate leading inside. Petra could barely see another table at the far right of the rectangle where a number of people were gathered around.

 

Petra walked up to the entry table, where two women wearing the typical guard uniform sat, each with a board. She waited in line, forcing herself to not tap her foot, until she was at the front.

 

“Name?” one of the guards asked. Petra gave it, and she checked her board. “There you are. You are in pair C. Pick up your gear at the other table and head for the marker with your letter.”

 

“Pair C. Got it.”

 

Doing as she was instructed, Petra soon found herself with a Sky City Guard uniform. She slipped the brown and gold outfit on over her regular clothes, and replaced her shoes with the black boots. She stared at the hat with a golden egg on the front, snorted, and then put it over her red hair. The last bit was the pair of white gloves, which she instantly disliked.

 

“These things are going to itch so bad,” she muttered.

 

The presence of the gloves was quickly made up by the final piece of her new equipment: the iron sword. Having seen Jesse craft one a few nights before (and having been taught how to make her own), she felt much more comfortable handling one of these than she thought she would.

 

She swung the sword around to get used to the feel of it in her hand. _Feels good to carry one of these.   I’m going to like this._

 

“You’re good at that already.” Petra heard a deep, gravely voice say behind her. “Was one of your parents a guard too?”

 

Petra turned to see a rather tall young man standing behind her. He had at least half a foot over her, which was saying something since Petra was one of the tallest people in the city. He wore the same uniform as her, although his didn’t look like it fit nearly as well. It wasn’t too small, but just barely so. He was a large man, but in a muscular sense. He carried iron sword of his own, but his kind of dangled rom his fingers without any sort of grip to it. His hat was lopsided on his head, showing a full head of black hair.

 

“Nope. Guess I’m just a natural,” Petra said, finally answering his question. She stuck her thumb at the sign with a giant C on it. “You part of pair C?”

 

“Yeah. I’m Axel,” he introduced, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess we’re partners, huh?”

 

“Guess so.” She put her sword away and smiled. “I’m Petra. Nice to meet you.”

 

“Likewise.” Axel glanced around the training area. “Pretty cool, huh? Being here? Getting to be part of the Guard?”

 

“Yeah, pretty exciting,” she answered. _Exciting to get a shot at The Founder’s inventory._

 

Axel glanced at the sword in his hand. “Not so sure about this though. I’m better with my fists.”

 

“Eh, you just need to practice,” Petra said encouragingly. “We both do. Feel up to sparring?”

 

Axel’s thick eyebrows shot up, but he grinned nonetheless and positioned himself with his sword pointed towards her. Petra took out her sword again, and soon enough the two blades were clanging against each other. Petra was faster, but she really struggled to keep Axel at bay when the two had their weapons pressed against each other. He was easily able to push her backwards, mainly due to his increased girth, pretty every time they came to a standstill.

 

The two were still going at it a bit when a loud voice called out from the front of the training grounds.

 

“Attention! Attention, everyone!” Petra and Axel ceased their sparring and turned to the origin of the voice. Reginald stood at the front of the grounds, with his second-in-command Gabriel next to him holding a clipboard. Reginald glanced around, waiting until everyone was silent, before continuing. “Welcome to you all. I am pleased to see so many new faces this year.”

 

Petra stared at him, trying to keep the smirk off her face. “Let me guess. He’s the boss?”

 

“You don’t know that already?” Axel asked, his voice just slightly higher in surprise.

 

“I’ve heard his name, but I’ve never actually met him before.”

 

“For those of you who don’t know, my name is Reginald, and I am the Captain of the Guard. I am in charge of the security and safety of the people of Sky City, including and especially for The Founder,” Reginald explained, his voice booming loud enough for everyone to hear. “I will be in charge of your schedules and your inventory while you on are on duty. I will also be leading your training for the next four weeks, at which point you will be fully inducted into the Guard.”

 

The Captain looked around at all the trainees, his gaze stopping on Axel for just a moment before moving on. It didn’t go without Axel noticing, however.

 

“Great, I stand out here too,” Axel whispered, keeping his eyes glued to his shoes.

 

“That’s not a bad thing, is it?” Petra inquired, but simply shook his head in silence.

 

“We will begin drills shortly, so please make sure you are in uniform and ready,” Reginald finished. “You will be working with your partner for the duration of training, so try to get along. If you have any questions, please direct them either to me or my second, Gabriel. Thank you.”

 

The murmuring started again as Reginald began making rounds. Petra turned back to her partner, who still kept his head down.

 

“Come on, big guy,” she said, punching him lightly in the shoulder. “You were excited a little while ago. What’s got you down?”

 

Axel sighed. “I just always stand out too much. Even the Captain thinks I’m weird.”

 

“Again, how is that bad?” Petra wondered. “Seems to me that being a guard would be perfect for you. You’ve got the physical strength for it.”

 

He allowed the tiniest of smiles to reach his face. “Huh, thanks, Petra. I hope I don’t let you down.”

 

There was a loud laugh from the pole labeled D. Petra’s head spun around to look at the trainee who did it. Besides the guard uniform he wore, he looked like any ordinary man Petra had seen before. He had a dark beard and mustache to match his hair, making him look older than he probably was. He was smirking in Axel’s direction and pointing, nudging his partner so she would look as well. She was giving Axel a similar expression, her chin jutted out and looking down her nose at them, even though both Petra and Axel were clearly taller than her.

 

“Looks like the loser got into the Guard after all,” the man jeered. “Or maybe he’s just supposed to the pack mule.”

 

The woman chuckled. “Good one, Gill.”

 

Petra narrowed her eyes at the pair. She looked at Axel to see why he wasn’t responding, but he was looking everywhere but at them. Pressing her lips together, she turned back to them.

 

“What’s your problem?” she asked.

 

The man, Gill apparently, just sniggered. “Just feeling sorry for you, being stuck with the guy with more meat on his bones than brains in his head.”

 

The woman laughed again, and Petra silently wondered if she was able to do anything else.

 

“Seems like that fits your description better,” Petra scorned.

 

Gill stared at her for a minute before smirking again. “Get a load of this, Maya. The loser’s made a little friend.”

 

“Oh, and it’s a girl too!” his partner – no, Maya – snickered with a shake of her head. “Honey, you can do so much better.”

 

“He’s my partner while we’re in training,” Petra announced. “And who are you to talk? No way you’re better at sword fighting than anyone else here.”  


“Petra, don’t,’ Axel said quietly. “They’re just being unpleasant. They always are.”

 

“So they’ve been jerks to you before?” Petra felt her face flush with irritation.

 

“Well, yeah, since we were kids,” he admitted, waving his hand. “But it’s not a big deal.”

 

For some reason, this newly learned fact did not sit right with Petra. Maybe it was watching Jesse want to dunk Hadrian during the festival after she learned he was a thief, or maybe it was from seeing her defend Olivia from Aiden at Build Club. Whatever the reason, Petra’s tolerance for conceited idiots was incredibly low at this point, and she was not pleased that her new partner was being condescended to like that.

 

“Back off,” Petra growled, placing herself in front of Gill as if to challenge him. “He hasn’t done anything to you.”

 

“Oh, you’re really defending him?” Gill mocked, lifting his upper lift in scorn. “Here I thought you were joking before.”

 

Axel, Gill and Maya all let out a gasp as Petra quickly pulled out her sword and glared at the shorter man, aiming the point of the blade right between his eyes.

 

“I said, back off.”

 

Gill immediately backed up and raised his hands in a surrendering gesture. Maya’s eyes widened as she stared. She looked like she was about to pull out her own weapon when a another voice called out.

 

“All right, all right! Enough!” It was Reginald, and Petra internally cringed as he placed himself between the two groups, holding a hand up to each. “I don’t want any infighting in my ranks. Swords away, now!”

 

Petra gave Gill one last glare before putting her sword back in her inventory, and Maya removed her hand from her sword’s hilt. Reginald looked at each of them, causing Axel stiffen and salute a bit clumsily. Petra backed up but didn’t take her warning eyes off Gill.

 

“That’s better. You are all part of the Guard now, and you must learn to trust and rely on one another to keep The Founder and our citizens safe,” he announced, loud enough for everyone in the training area to hear. “I don’t want to see you drawing your swords on one another again. Am I understood?”

 

He seemed to direct this command to Petra more than the others, likely because she was the one who had her sword out when he came over. Petra nodded and saluted, and this seemed to please the Captain. Gill and Maya both smirked and left to do their own training. Petra just watched them go with squinted eyes.

 

_Why do they get away with that so easily?_ She thought.

 

“I’ll have a separate talk with them. Don’t worry.” Petra and Axel turned their attention back to Reginald, whose tone had softened. “I heard him goading you on. I won’t stand for taunting like that either.”

 

The Captain looked over the two trainees as they stood next to each other. Petra kept herself from looking away or biting her lip. She didn’t want to show any weakness in front of her new boss. Not when her opportunity to get access to The Founder’s inventory depended on his approval.

 

“I do commend you for defending your partner, however,” Reginald said at last, and both Petra and Axel jumped at little at the statement. “That kind of loyalty is important in the Guard. Keep it up.”

 

_Maybe not such a bad way to start off after all._ Petra thought as she saluted again. “Yes, sir.”

 

“Thank you, sir,” Axel added with his own salute.

 

Reginald nodded to them again before turning and looking back towards the rest of the trainees. Axel smiled at her.

 

“Thanks,” he said. “You didn’t have to do that.”

 

“No one messes with my partner,” she replied. “How about we get back to it? How are you with defensive maneuvers?”

 

“I could use some practice.”

 

“I could too. Let’s do it.” Petra made this last comment while unsheathing her sword again.

 

After a number of hours of drills and training before Reginald called it done for the day, Petra was exhausted. Her back and her legs were sore, and sweat was pouring down her skin in a vain attempt to cool her down. Summer was well underway, making the outdoors start to be unbearable. She quickly removed the extra layer of her uniform and wiped her hand over her forehead.

 

“Man, training’s going to be a pain when it’s this hot,” she remarked with a shake of her head.

 

“Tell me about it,” Axel concurred. “Remind me to bring buckets of water here in the future.”

 

“Hey Axel?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Remember to bring buckets of water here in the future.”

 

“Oh, ha ha.” Axel was still smiling despite the heat and the joke. He kept swiping his sword at the practice dummy. “I’m not that scatterbrained…usually.”

 

Petra grinned. Whether he was a scatterbrain or not, Axel was still pretty cool. He just needed some encouragement every once in a while.

 

“Hey, I’m going to go hang out with some friends of mine,” she said. “Want to come?”

 

Axel looked like he was biting his tongue. “Uh, maybe next time. I want to practice with my sword some more. I need it.”

 

“Eh, you’re doing all right,” Petra answered. “But practice makes perfect, right?”

 

“Right!” He briefly paused. “Thanks for the invite anyway.”

 

“The offers open whenever you feel like it,” she added. Petra turned and started walking away. “Don’t get heat stroke, okay? I’d hate to have to be assigned another partner.”

 

Axel let out a boisterous laugh. “Sure thing.”

 

With Axel and the training grounds behind her, Petra headed off to the her friends’ meeting place. They would change locations every so often to vary the view, and this time they were headed for the outer wall of Sky City. Lukas had found a ladder leading to the top a long time ago, and it was a great place to behold both the city itself and the vast emptiness that was around it. It was both breathtaking and gloomy at once, depending on the time of day.

 

When Petra arrived, Lukas, Jesse and Olivia were all already there. Petra was pretty sure this was the first time Jesse had been there, unless Lukas had shown her the spot sometime beforehand. Whatever the case, Petra climbed the ladder and plopped herself down next to Lukas.

 

“Hey, guys.”

 

“Hi, Petra,” Jesse said with a smile.

 

“How do you like the view?” she asked her new friend.

 

“It’s amazing!” Jesse threw up her hands in excitement. “I don’t know why the view is different here than from home. Closer, I guess.”

 

“Yeah, it’s really nice, huh?” Olivia added.

 

“Both the city and the sky look amazing from up here,” Lukas said, glancing back and forth over both edges of the wall. “I wonder if The Founder’s view is as nice from the palace.”

 

“Who knows?” Petra replied. “The palace is really tall, so probably.”

 

Jesse nibbled on her bottom lip for a second, something that Petra was beginning to notice was a sign of her being nervous about something. What Jesse was nervous about, she had no clue.

 

_What’s eating her?_

 

It was not a moment later that Jesse pulled some apples out of her inventory. “Hey guys, look what I have!”

 

“Oh, nice!” Lukas cried and took a bite out of the apple she passed him. He leaned back so Jesse could give one to Petra. “Man, I love apples!”

 

“Be careful, Jesse,” Petra teased while Jesse gave an apple to Olivia. “If you keep giving Lukas his favorite food, he’ll keep coming back for more.”

 

Lukas rolled his eyes as Jesse laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

The group turned their attention to the clouds and tiny blocks of dirt that hung around in the sky surrounding the island. In the daytime, the sky was the brightest blue possible, with clouds covering the space below the island leading into the Void below. Petra squinted as she tried to make out the shapes of some of the other islands in the distance, but she couldn’t make them out in any detail.

 

Almost as if she was reading Petra’s mind, Jesse spoke: “Do you think there’s anything out there?”

 

“Out in the sky?” Lukas asked.

 

“Yeah. Like this island. There’s got to be more people out there, right?” Jesse clarified. “I mean, that’s how…The Founder brought everyone together, right? There was just one island, she expanded it, and brought people together to Sky City.”

 

“It would be cool to find out if there is anyone or anything else out there,” Petra said. “Maybe other people or monsters or something exciting! Better than this place.”

 

“Sky City is pretty short on fun,” Lukas moped. “Other than the festivals, there’s not much to do here.”

 

“If you could go out there,” Jesse wondered. “What would you do? Where would you go?”

 

“You’d need some kind of build that could fly,” Olivia calculated. “More redstone and pistons than you could shake a stick at, and The Founder would never approve a petition like that.”

 

“Sure, but hypothetically speaking,” the dark-haired girl continued. “Let’s say The Founder did allow something like that. Would you do it?”

 

“I’d be all for it,” Petra declared. “Exploring adventuring, discovering new things…That’s right up my alley!”

 

“Me too,” Jesse agreed. “Though I’d want to go down, see if there really is nothing in the Void.”

 

“You think there’s actually something down there?” Olivia inquired.

 

“I don’t know, but that’s what I want to find out,” Jesse answered. “See if…The Founder is right or wrong. She says it’s a lost cause, but how can we know if we never look?”

 

“I’m with you there,” Lukas swallowed another bite of his apple. “I’d love to write about adventures like that.”

 

“Oh, speaking of writing…” Jesse dug through her inventory again for a moment before pulling out an item with an “Aha!” look in her eyes. “Here, Lukas. This is for you.”

 

Petra glanced over to see her hold a blank book and quill out to him. Lukas’ blue eyes widened in joy, and his smile was as bright as the sun.

 

“I know your dad’s petition for this was rejected,” Jesse explained. She held the book in her hands, waiting for Lukas to take it, but he appeared to be too shocked to move. “And, um, you keep talking about how much you like to write, so…”

 

Lukas still didn’t move, and Petra could tell from Jesse’s expression that she was worried she had done something wrong, if her blinking eyes and furrowed eyebrows were any indication. Petra gently slapped Lukas in the back of the head.

 

“Ow!” Lukas glared at her and rubbed the back of his head.

 

“She’s trying to give you a gift, dummy,” she said, pointing to the book. “Better take it before she changes her mind.”

 

The group laughed, the tension completely broken, and Lukas took the present from Jesse’s hands.

 

“Jesse and Lukas, sitting in a tree,” Olivia began singing with a impish smile. “K-I-S-S-I-N-G…”

 

Lukas leaned over and gave her a playful punch, and Olivia stopped singing with a smirk.

 

“What?” Jesse’s concerned face returned. “But we’re not sitting in trees, and we’re not—”

 

“Thank you, Jesse. This means a lot to me,” he interrupted her, giving her his best grin. “Do I dare ask how you go this?”

 

Jesse shrugged. “I’ll leave that to your imagination.”

 

_It’s not that mysterious,_ Petra thought. _She petitioned The Founder for it, and unlike Milo, she wasn’t rejected._

 

She kept this thought to herself, however, and the team continued to munch on their apples until they were gone. They alternatively sat and lay lazily on the outer wall, discussing everything and nothing at all, until the sun began to set and Jesse claimed that she needed to head home before dark. Olivia agreed and went down the ladder first, heading home herself. Petra and Lukas weren’t far behind.

 

“Can I walk you home?” Lukas offered to Jesse.

 

This was probably the eighth time or so that he asked Jesse this question, and Petra was expecting the same negative reply. Lukas probably was too.

 

Instead, she just gave him a small smile. “I, uh, can’t let you follow me all the way home. I’ll get in trouble. But maybe until a few roads down?”

 

Lukas let out a breath he probably didn’t know he was holding. “Great!”

 

“I’ll leave you guys to it,” Petra said, turning to head in the direction of her flat. “See you guys later!”

 

“Later, Petra!” Jesse called, and Lukas waved.

 

Petra waited until the pair had walked around the nearby corner leading towards the town squares, slowing her pace and then turning around to follow them.

 

_Leave them to it? Yeah right!_ She thought.

 

She stepped as lightly as she could to keep the sound of her boots as quiet as possible, all the while trying to stay close enough to keep an eye on them but far enough away to as to not be spotted by them. Petra couldn’t hear most of the conversation, but the smiles on Jesse and Lukas’ faces told her they were having a good time. Since this was the first time Jesse actually allowed Lukas anywhere near her when she was heading home, maybe she was finally getting through her trust issues? Maybe the next step would be letting Lukas actually see her home?

 

_Where_ does _Jesse live anyway?_

 

“I, uh, think this is as far as we can go together,” Jesse said at last, having stopped in front of one of the darker alleys near the town square that was located right in front of The Founder’s palace. Petra crouched behind the corner of a nearby building, making sure she was not in direct line of sight for either of them. Thank goodness for her practice at keeping out the Guard’s sight. “Thanks for walking me.”

 

“No problem.” Lukas gave her a wink. “Got to protect you from the bandits Sky City is known for.”

 

Jesse giggled and placed the back of her hand on her forehead. “Oh yes! My hero, come to rescue me from the evil thieves!”

 

“Hey, I could be a hero,” he claimed with his hands on his hips. “I could pull it off, right?”

 

“I think you’ve been reading some of Petra’s books again.”

 

“Petra doesn’t read those kinds of books.”

 

“Then where are you getting this hero stuff?”

 

“Maybe I’m just a natural hero?”

 

Jesse didn’t respond to that. She glanced down at her feet for a moment. “Hey, Lukas?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“What was that song Olivia was singing before?” she asked. “The one about us in a tree?”

 

Lukas choked and coughed, and Petra could see his cheeks turn a little pink.

 

“You, uh, never heard that song before?” he said. “I wouldn’t even call it a song really…”

 

“Guess it’s just another part of life I’ve missed out because Mother’s kept me cooped up.”   She gave a smaller shrug this time. “But you’re avoiding the question.”

 

“It’s just a dumb song people sing to make fun,” he explained, biting the inside of his cheek. “Don’t worry about it.”

 

“Make fun of people kissing?”

 

“Pretty much.”

 

Jesse raised an eyebrow, and Petra had to stop herself from snorting. She always thought it was ridiculous too. “But what if it was true?”

 

Petra blinked. _What?_

 

“What?”

 

Jesse started biting her lip again. “Just that, you know, it’s, uh…I don’t know how to say this.”

 

_Is she about to do what I think she’s going to do?_

 

If Lukas was planning to respond to her stammering, he didn’t get the chance to do so. Jesse stepped forward and got on her toes, pressing her lips against his cheek for just a moment before backing up. She rubbed the back of her neck, turned around and took off, covering her face with her hand. She paused at the entrance to the alley and turned to look at Lukas again, her neck turning red.

 

She needn’t have been worried though. Lukas just watched her with a wide grin. He put his fingers to his cheek for a second before giving her an enthusiastic wave. Jesse returned it, her frown turning upside down, and she disappeared into the alley towards her home.

 

Lukas’ wave slowed until she was no longer in sight. He gave a little jump as he turned around to walk back to Milo’s inn, and Petra chuckled.

 

_Oh man, what a dork. What am I going to do with those two?_ Petra waited until Lukas practically skipped out of sight before leaving her hiding spot. “So Jesse made the first move. Looks like Olivia owes me two iron.”

 

With the sun setting beneath the island and the sky turning dark, Petra decided to wait until morning to gather her winnings from her friend. Unfortunately for her, her luck at staying out of sight had run out by the time she took five steps.

 

“Never took you for a voyeur, Petra.”

 

She groaned. Petra hated the sound of Aiden’s voice, and it had only become more and more annoying since the Spring Festival. She rubbed the bridge of her nose then looked over her shoulder at him.

 

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

 

“Same as you,” he answered. “Spying on a friend.”

 

Petra turned her whole body to face him. “I really doubt you’re here for the same reason as me.”

 

Aiden frowned. “No, guess not. You were probably cheering for Lukas the whole time.”

 

“Maybe I was,” she admitted. “Why does that matter to you?”

 

“Just thinking how Jesse hasn’t realized the better option,” he sneered. “But that won’t take long.”

 

“Aiden, I swear,” she growled, taking a few steps forward so she was looking down at him, using her height over him to her advantage. “If you do anything to sabotage them—”

 

“All’s fair in love and war, right?” he teased, looking nonchalantly at his fingers. “Why shouldn’t I take a shot at the best?”

 

_“The best” being Jesse? She’s not an object._ “If you do anything to hurt Jesse, Lukas will be the first person I tell.”

 

“Please. You’ve been ‘warning’ him about me for years.” Aiden used air quotes with his statement and rolled his eyes. “Do you really think he’s going to believe you now?”

 

Petra felt her nostrils flare. “Then if you do anything to hurt Jesse, your face will get acquainted with my fist.”

 

This time, Aiden let out a barking laugh. “Believe me, hurting Jesse is the last thing I intend to do.”

 

Aiden’s shorter height didn’t stop him from knocking Petra in the shoulder as he pushed her out of his way. She watched him go with narrowed eyes, the edges of her mouth crinkling in a frown.

 

_Better let Jesse know to avoid Aiden from now on,_ she thought. _I guess the first thing is to explain to her what a date is and to never accept one with Aiden._


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve had lots of extra time lately, so here’s the next chapter very soon after the last!

 

 Jesse woke up to a snout in her face. She grumbled at being roused, causing Reuben to give her elated oinks as he continued to press his nose into her neck. She laughed as he tickled her, waking her up completely. She scratched Reuben behind his ears, his favorite spot, and stretched, kicking her covers off her bed in the process.

 

“I never should’ve let you start to sleep in my bed.”

 

Reuben just smiled and oinked, his expression clearly showing that he didn’t believe a word she said.

 

“Yeah, yeah, you grew out of the basket, just like I said you would,” she groaned. “And I haven’t gotten around to making you a larger bed. That doesn’t mean you have to commandeer mine.”

 

Reuben snorted and leapt off the bed, allowing Jesse to sit up. She glanced out the window where her hidden ladder to the bottom was located. Jesse moaned again and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

 

“Reuben, the sun’s barely up. What’d you have to wake me for?”

 

If pigs could smirk, Reuben was doing so right now.

 

Shaking her head, Jesse got up and checked her wardrobe, thinking about what to wear that day. It wasn’t going to be a day she could sneak out, so it was probably in her best interest to wear something her mother would approve of. She decided on a long dress with red flower print, something similar to what her mother would wear but with a bit more elaborate style. It was a lovely dress, but it seemed The Founder cared more for Jesse’s appearance than her own.

 

“Don’t know why Mother bothers,” she muttered, glancing at Reuben. “I never see anyone outside the palace…as far as she knows. I could wear a flour sack and no one would care except her.”

 

Reuben cocked his head at her and raised an eyebrow. He took one glance at the dress and huffed.

 

“Yeah, I prefer my overalls too, but Mother insists,” Jesse said as she dressed. “It’s not that bad, right?”

 

She wasn’t sure if Reuben agreed with her or did the pig version of a shrug. She just sighed and headed for the door.

 

“Lukas would like it,” she insisted. “…I think.”

 

Jesse always wore overalls or other very casual clothing when she snuck out of the palace. This was not only for practical reasons (trying to climb down a ladder or across the roof of a building in a dress was not the easiest thing to do after all), but also to decrease the chances she would be recognized by any of the guards roaming around the city. She had been able to keep out of their sight thus far, but she didn’t want to take any chances.

 

As such, she had never worn anything more formal during her visits to Lukas or the others. Lukas himself would wear very simple clothes, and Milo’s outfit always seemed a little scruffy, so she was pretty sure that fancy clothing was not something either of them cared much about.

 

It was a good thing too, otherwise Jesse would have worried more about whether or not Lukas liked her appearance as much as he seemed to.

 

Jesse’s heart started beating faster as she thought of the blond young man. Lukas had taken her little “confession” (from which she had fled from) as a sign that he was allowed to be more affectionate. They had yet to kiss beyond cheeks, but Lukas gladly embraced every hug she gave him (while claiming she was a good hugger) and was more than pleased whenever Jesse would reach out to hold his hand. He took things slow, always letting her take the initiative for anything new. Lukas never pushed her to do anything, and she really appreciated it, considering this was the first time she had any kind of companionship outside of her mother, Reginald, Ivor and Reuben, none of which elicited the emotions she had been feeling lately.

 

It was just over a month since the two had started dating (and thanks to Petra, Jesse actually understood what that meant), and it seemed like Lukas was constantly on her mind. She couldn’t get his eyes, his smile, or his laugh out of her head.   Jesse was reaching a point where she had to watch what she said around the palace to make sure she didn’t slip up and start talking about him…as she just had to Reuben.

 

She just couldn’t help it! Every time Jesse spotted Lukas practicing a new crafting recipe from across the room, especially when he succeeded and made the item for the first time, her heart would flutter. The way his blue eyes would shine and his long nose would crinkle at the slightest excitement only encouraged her to show him more things to build, and indeed, out of all of Build Club, Jesse had shown Lukas the most. Petra and Milo were close second and third.

 

And although their “dates” consisted mostly of walking around town, watching the sunset, or hanging out at Build Club, she wouldn’t trade that time with him for anything in the world.

 

Which was why it was particularly annoying when Jesse knew she was going to be cooped up in the palace for the day. She couldn’t sneak out all the time, although she had been seriously tempted to just snuggle with Lukas by the fireplace in his father’s inn for the evening on more than one occasion.

 

No, today was a day for her cage, although having Reuben prance next to her as Jesse headed for the living room for breakfast eased her heart a little bit.

 

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Reuben,” she told him as they walked. “You keep me sane in here, you know?”

 

Reuben smiled, his piggy teeth showing under his snout.

 

Breakfast was a quiet affair, chiefly because The Founder wasn’t there. This was nothing new. Isa sometimes started early when it came to dealing with her duties as leader. Reginald was still there, watching over her, but other than some small talk he was quiet as usual.

 

Jesse was just finishing off her beetroot soup when Isa and Ivor entered the room, the former holding a serious expression and the latter with a apologetic one. Jesse blinked at them as they approached.

 

“Uh-oh. Don’t like the looks of this.” Reuben squeaked in agreement.

 

“Jesse, may I speak with you, dear?” Isa’s tone was stern but worried. Jesse simply nodded in response, and Isa took a seat next to her. “It has come to my attention that your education is suffering.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Ivor, if you please?”

 

The alchemist walked over and placed the parchments on the table. Jesse glanced through them and quickly recognized them. They were some of the examinations she had taken in the past months. Based on the various marks, she had not done well.

 

_Crud._

 

“Jesse, you have always been very bright, but recently your scores have suffered and you have not internalized as much of Ivor’s teachings.” Isa folded her hands on the table and looked at her daughter straight in the eye. “Has something been bothering you? Something I need to know?”

 

Jesse gulped, keeping her eyes on the papers. “No. I didn’t know I was doing so poorly.”

 

“And this is even with your study days you’ve been spending in your room.” Isa clicked her tongue. “Perhaps independent studying isn’t working the best strategy?”

 

“No!” Jesse had to keep herself from jumping out of her chair. “No. There’s nothing wrong with it. I’ll do better on the next one, Mother. I promise.”

 

_If she knew I wasn’t actually studying…and being at Build Club doesn’t count when the tests are about enchanting._

 

Isa stared at her, and Jesse could see Ivor crossing his arms out the corner of her eye. If she hadn’t been doing well in her studies for this long, why hadn’t Ivor mentioned it earlier?

 

_If I don’t have an excuse to not be outside my room, I won’t be able to see Lukas and the others again._

“Mother, really, I’m all right.”

 

Isa sighed and bowed her head. “Very well. I’m just concerned for you is all.”

 

“And I appreciate it.” _Don’t make me study somewhere public. Don’t make me study somewhere public!_

 

Her prayers must have been answered, as Isa nodded and stood. Ivor seemed to relax as well.

 

“That is good to hear, Jesse. I know you are a better student than this. But you can talk to me about whatever is bothering you.”

 

“Of course.” She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding.

 

“In any case, we’re inducting a group of new guards today,” Isa said. “It’s time to introduce you to them.”

 

“New guards?” She blew a raspberry. “Great. More people to treat me like glass.”

 

“Jesse, you know why the Guard is the way it is,” Reginald reprimanded.

 

“Yeah, I know.” She shook her head and raised up from her seat. “I still don’t like it.”

 

Reuben jumped onto her chair and stuck his snout into her bowl, lapping up the remains of her soup before jumping down and returning to Jesse’s side, dripping beetroot all over the floor in the process. Jesse just laughed at his antics.

 

“Reuben, must you be so messy?” Isa asked, but the growing pig just oinked at her.

 

Jesse followed her mother and Reginald down the dark halls in the direction of the throne room, passing only a few windows in the process. Ivor stayed in the shadows, but jogged to catch up to Jesse as they walked behind The Founder and the Captain of the Guard.

 

“I’m sorry, Jesse,” he said. “I couldn’t keep giving your mother excuses for your poor performance. It wasn’t my intention to get you in trouble.”

 

 _So I have been doing badly for a while._ Jesse looked at him. “Why didn’t you tell Mother earlier?”

 

“I was hoping it was just a phase,” he answered. “But I couldn’t keep covering for you.”

 

_Covering for me?_

 

Their conversation came to an abrupt end as they arrived in the throne room. Jesse could see that the entire area was closed off, with at least two guards at every entrance and exit. Before the throne was a group of about twenty new guards, which Jesse only knew by the wide-eyed expressions on most of them.

 

They stood in two rows of ten. Many of these faces blended together. After seeing so many guards, it was quite a task for Jesse to keep them all straight, something she frequently felt bad about. There was one male guard near the end of the back row who was larger than many of the other guards, and Jesse immediately decided that she didn’t want to get on his bad side.

 

_He’ll be easy to remember at least._

 

Glancing at the guard standing in front of the larger man, Jesse barely kept herself from stumbling. Although she was saluting and wearing the standard uniform of the Guard, Jesse had become familiar enough with the red hair and deep brown eyes that she felt she would recognize them anywhere.

 

Standing as part of the Guard of Sky City was the last place Jesse ever expected to see Petra.

 

Isa sat delicately on her throne, looking over the new recruits with a hopeful spark in her eye. Reginald stood to her right, saluting to The Founder before returning to attention. Jesse’s spot was to Isa’s left, and it was just her luck that this put her right in front of Petra.

 

Jesse bit her lip. _Stay calm. Don’t stare. Don’t stare. Don’t stare…_

 

She was staring, and Petra’s eyes narrowed just a little bit. Jesse immediately looked away, taking in the other guards in an attempt to look anywhere but at her friend.

 

“Good morning to you all.” Isa remained in her seat as she began her customary speech to the new recruits. “I am pleased to see so many people interested in the safety of our fair city.”

 

The recruits remained saluting, with a couple glancing briefly at Reginald for any instructions. Isa smiled.

 

“At ease.” And they were. Some even let out sighs of relief. “Now, as your Founder, I’m sure you know that I am ultimately in charge of everything that goes on in Sky City. Anything involving building or crafting has to come through me…”

 

 _Petra’s not saying anything,_ Jesse thought as she wrung her hands. _Maybe that means she’s going to keep quiet?_

 

“…and it is your duty to ensure the safety of our people,” Isa continued. Jesse missed much of what she had said. “For guard duty, you will report to Reginald. I’m certain you have already become accustomed to that…”

 

_Why would Petra join the Guard? She’s in Build Club! She complains about Mother’s laws all the time! Why would she put herself in a position where she’d have to enforce them?_

 

“…and anyone who violates our laws are to be brought to me immediately for questioning.” Her mother’s tone had become more serious now, but Jesse was just barely paying attention. “Even if they proclaim their innocence, in the end it is my word that determines their guilt. No one else.”

 

 _No way she doesn’t recognize me._ Jesse snuck a glance at the ginger, who simply raised an eyebrow at her. _Oh man, I’m so—_

“On a final note,” Isa said, and Jesse jumped just a little. Was she at the end of her speech already? “I would like to introduce to you my daughter, Jesse.”

 

Jesse bit her lip again and looked anywhere but at Petra. “Hello.”

 

The new guards all appeared surprised, but most of them kept their composure, including Petra.

 

“I know it is a surprise to you, but I have kept Jesse’s existence a secret from the citizenry of Sky City for her own protection,” Isa explained. Her eyes narrowed and gave each individual recruit a firm look. “It is your upmost priority to keep her safe while you are stationed in the palace. In addition, you are to never reveal her identity or presence to anyone outside the Guard. If you fail to do so, you will know no greater wrath than mine. Am I understood?”

 

“Yes, Ma’am!” The recruits all shouted instantly, and Isa nodded solemnly.

 

“Very good. Welcome to the Guard.”

 

Jesse didn’t pay attention as Reginald started listing off duties for the newcomers, and didn’t move from her spot until the group began to disperse. She looked up one last time at Petra, but the redhead had already turned and left the throne room, presumably to take up a post somewhere. Jesse sighed as Reuben began nuzzling her legs, trying to comfort her. She bent down to scratch his ears, trying to ignore the ball of iron forming in her stomach.

 

Following all that, most of Jesse’s time was taken up by tutoring from Ivor. She did her best to catch up with what she was falling behind in, and thankfully Ivor’s teaching methods always worked well for her. This was probably why Isa allowed the potioneer to stick around as Jesse’s teacher as long as he had. Ivor’s sarcastic wit seemed to pierce her brain better than any normal teacher, including her own mother. To this day, Jesse wasn’t sure what that said about her.

 

Tutoring was a nice distraction, but the moment it was over for the day Jesse’s anxiety returned. There were so many unanswered questions going through her mind. Why did Petra join the Guard? What was she hoping to gain from it? Didn’t this contradict her beliefs about Build Club? Why hadn’t she just exposed Jesse in front of The Founder about her sneaking out of the palace?

 

Most importantly: Was Petra going to tell Lukas?

 

Determined to get the answers to these questions, Jesse searched the palace high and low for Petra. With Reuben by her side, she eventually found the taller woman standing guard in one of the hallways leading to the kitchen. Reuben ran ahead and grinned at Petra, who kneeled down to give him a pat on his head.

 

 _Reuben’s always been a good judge of character._ Jesse paused and took a deep breath. _Okay, Jesse. Relax. You can do this._

 

Facing her new friend with her old identity was not an ideal circumstance in her opinion. Nonetheless, she knew it was too late to keep it secret anymore.

 

“Hello, Private,” she greeted, not sure how to address Petra at the moment. She wasn’t sure if anyone else was going to listen in. No one else was around, but Jesse didn’t want to take any chance. “May I speak with you alone?”

 

“Yes, Young Miss.”

 

Jesse felt bile raising into her throat. _Oh great. Now_ Petra _of all people is going to call me that._

 

Reuben led the two of them to a simple conference room with only a single long table and a couple of chairs inside. There wasn’t even a single window, giving them the privacy Jesse desired. Reuben jumped on one of the chairs and curled up, looking back and forth between the two women in anticipation. Jesse waited for Petra to be completely inside before closing the door and locking it.

 

As Jesse turned around, she noticed that Petra had broken her stiff guard posture and returned to what Jesse knew to be her normal self…at least, her normal self that was incredibly cross. Petra had her arms crossed and her face lowered so she was looking at Jesse from just beneath her upper eyelids. Her brow was furrowed together and her foot tapped very lightly, being the only sound in the room.

 

_Oh boy. Here we go._

 

“So, either you have a long-lost twin that was separated from you from birth, or The Founder’s daughter has been running around Sky City without telling anyone who she really is.” Petra’s tone clearly showed just how displeased she was. “Should I guess which one is true, _Young Miss_?”

 

Jesse hid her eyes behind her hand. “For all that is holy, don’t call me that. Please, Petra.”

 

The taller one relaxed her arms and instead put her hands on her hips. “Sorry, but it’s just a little more than annoying to have made such a good friend only to learn that everything about her is a total lie.”

 

“I wasn’t lying! I was just, uh, not telling you the whole story,” Jesse insisted. Petra’s blank face did not comfort her. “Fine, I was lying. Listen, I’m really, _really_ sorry. I never meant for it to get this far.”

 

“You mean you never meant for anyone to find out,” Petra corrected her.

 

The dark-haired woman lowered her gaze. “Yeah.”

 

Petra’s expression softened as she saw Jesse’s hurt face and she sighed. “How about you tell me everything from the top?”

 

Reuben took a small nap as Jesse recited everything that had happened from her point of view, from before the Spring Festival to the celebration itself to the current day. Petra was silent, not giving one bit of commentary as she listened to the tale. She leaned back against the wall while Jesse sat in a chair, and the latter kept her gaze away from her friend. Once she was finished, Jesse finally glanced up at her again.

 

“So your mom doesn’t know about any of this?” she asked.

 

“Are you kidding?” Jesse’s eyebrows disappeared into her hair. “If Mother found out about this, she would…Well, I don’t know what she would do. Honestly, I don’t want to think about it.”

 

“So bad you don’t know what it is?” Petra teased with a smirk.

 

“Pretty much.” Jesse shrugged every so slightly. “Probably along the same lines if Mother learns you’re a member of the you-know-what.”

 

“Our secret club.” Petra cringed a little. “Yeah, let’s not think about that.”

 

Jesse rubbed the back of her head. “You won’t tell anyone what I’ve been doing, right? Please?”

 

“Oh, you asking me now?”

 

“I’ll beg you if I have to.” _Petra, please…_

 

“We’re friends, aren’t we?” Petra rolled her eyes. “Of course I won’t tell, dummy.”

 

Jesse let out a long breath. “I guess you can’t really tell in case I tell Mother about Build Club.”

 

“So…” Petra dragged out the word in faux thought. “I guess we’re blackmailing each other, huh?”

 

“Looks like it.” Jesse finally gave a true smile for the first time that day. “Thanks, Petra.”

 

“Don’t thank me yet. This is a big deal,” she said. “I won’t tell if you don’t want me to, but you should at least tell Lukas the truth.”

 

Jesse felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head. “No!”

 

“But you should.”

 

“I can’t!”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Petra, think about who I am and who Lukas is,” Jesse described, throwing up her hands. “My mother is the person who locked up his father for most of his childhood! It’s her laws that keep them from having something as simple as a book! She’s the one who keeps rejecting Milo’s petitions!”

 

“Your point?”

 

Jesse’s mouth dropped open at the question. “How do you think Lukas would react if he found out he was dating the daughter of the person who essentially makes his life miserable?”

 

“It’s not making his life miserable,” Petra asserted. “More difficult maybe, but not miserable.”

 

There was a thunk as Jesse dropped her head against the table. “You’re missing the point.”

 

“The point is that Lukas knows not to judge someone by who their mother or father is.” Petra tapped her foot on the iron floor. “Lukas knows and loves you. He’s not going to care about any of that.”

 

 _Loves?_ Jesse’s face flushed bright red, reaching her ears as she ran her hand through her hair. “He loves me?”

 

“Why do I bother with you people?” Petra closed her eyes and shook her head. “I can break the news to him, if that would be easier for you?”

 

“No. No, you’re right. I should be the one to tell him.” Jesse took a breath and slowly released it. “How am I supposed to tell him exactly?”

 

“I’d figure just being honest would do it.”

 

“You’re no help at all.” Jesse rubbed the bridge of her nose.

 

“But I’m right, aren’t I?”

 

“I’ll tell him, all right? But I want to do it at the right time, okay?”

 

“Fair enough, but I wouldn’t wait too long.” Petra gave her friend an adamant look. “Lukas is going to find out eventually, and the more you postpone it, the worse it’s going to be.”

 

Jesse’s shoulders slumped and she covered her face with her hands. “I know, I know. Just…let me have this for now, okay?”

 

Concerned about the level of distress in his friend’s voice, Reuben leapt down from his chair and nestled into Jesse’s lap. Petra’s face softened further, and she walked over to put a hand on her companion’s shoulder. Jesse looked up at her, her eyes shining bright.

 

“I’m not trying to be a jerk, but Lukas is my best friend,” she said. “And he’s not going to think badly of you. I promise.”

 

Jesse sighed again. “I guess we’ll find out eventually, won’t we?”

 

Petra straightened up and looked at the door. “I better get back to my post. I don’t want to get in trouble on my first day of guard duty.”

 

“If you do, I’ll just tell Reginald you were with me,” Jesse offered. “You won’t get in trouble for that.”

 

“Good to know. I can use you as my excuse for whenever I do something wrong.”

 

Jesse gave her a gentle punch in the shoulder, and the two girls laughed while Reuben oinked in agreement. The little pig bared his teeth. He always preferred it when Jesse was happy.

 

The three left the conference room and returned to Petra’s spot only to be faced with the large man Jesse had seen earlier. He was looking around with a worried twinkle in his dark eyes. His concern visibly deflated once he caught sight of them.

 

“Petra, there you are!” he hollered, his voice booming through the halls, causing Jesse to shake a little. “I was supposed to trade your post, but you weren’t here. Is everything okay?”

 

“Oh yeah. Everything’s fine. Sorry to make you worry.” Petra waved her hand between the man and Jesse. “Jesse, this is Axel. He was my partner during training. Axel, I’m sure you know Jesse.”

 

“Hello, Young Miss,” Axel said with a salute, and Jesse bit her tongue to keep herself from releasing another groan. “Petra, you call her by her name?”

 

“She said I could. She actually doesn’t like being called Young Miss.” Petra chuckled a bit at this, and Jesse just glared at her.

 

“It’s not funny, Petra,” she said.

 

“Sorry, not sorry.”

 

“You can call me Jesse too,” she said to the man. “Axel, was it?”

 

“Yes, Young Mi—er, Jesse,” he answered with a crocked grin. “We probably can’t call you that in front of the Captain or The Founder, but I guess that would be okay when we’re alone?”

 

“I’d like that,” Jesse concurred with a smile. “I’m kind of short on friends around here. You two want to hang out?”

 

“Um, Captain Reginald wants me to take this shift in this hall,” Axel replied.

 

“I insist. Private, you will accompany me to the kitchens for a snack,” Jesse put her hands on her hips. “That’s an order.”

 

Axel let out a guffaw. “Well, you know I can’t disobey an order, especially if it means I get some food.”

 

“You’re such a lazy bum, Axel,” Petra mocked, poking him in the stomach with an elbow.

 

“I’m just big boned,” he objected. “That’s what you told me during training anyway.”

 

At this point, Reuben made himself known by jumping into the middle of the triangle the three humans had formed and flopping onto his back, his demand to have his belly rubbed clear for all to see. The group laughed and Axel bent down to do exactly that.

 

“You’ve got a pet pig!” he declared. “Awesome!”

 

“People always love a pig,” Jesse said with a bright smile.

 

The four headed for the kitchens, Jesse’s heart still heavy from the idea of having to tell Lukas her secret, but her shoulders less tense from having to hold up the secret in front of Petra.

 

_If only I could tell Lukas who I am and have him understand._


	10. Chapter 10

Two weeks and five missed opportunities to tell Lukas the truth later, Jesse found herself escaping from the palace on a rather gloomy day. Sky City was normally sunny, even on the colder autumn or winter times, but today dark, grim clouds covered the sun, obscuring much of the light of day. Jesse could have sworn she felt a few tiny drops of rain on her cheeks once she got past the barracks and arrived at the back alley away from the rest of town.

 

 _Haven’t had rain in a while,_ she thought as she weaved through the alleys to the town square. _Just in time for the Fall Moon Faire._

 

Unlike the Spring Festival, the Fall Moon Faire took place at night, as a celebration for a successful summer and to prepare for the coming of winter. There was more feasting than festivities and games, but beyond that Jesse actually knew very little about it. It was no surprise that Isa didn’t allow her to partake in that celebration either, so she always slept through it.

 

 _It should be easier to sneak out at night, if Mother thinks I’m already asleep._ _I’d be able to spend time at the faire with Lukas._

 

The rain started to pour a bit harder, and Jesse took shelter underneath an awning to stay as dry as she could. She shook her head, causing her damp hair to flail droplets around. Glancing up and down the alley, she could see that she was alone, meaning no one saw that undignified action.

 

Of course she didn’t really care. Out here, she was just Jesse, citizen of Sky City and ordinary person. She didn’t have to display certain manners or use certain language. She could be as relaxed and casual as she wanted. Best of all, no one went around calling her “Young Miss.”

 

 _When I’m leader, people are going to just call me Jesse,_ she decided, nodding to herself. _Founder, Captain, Young Miss…All these stupid titles._ _Who needs them?_

 

She looked down the alley towards her destination. She was supposed to meet Lukas at the inn, as they decided to always do whenever she was able to make it out. Lukas was usually there, either as the innkeeper’s son or in Build Club, unless he was hanging out with Petra. She wasn’t around as often since she had shifts in the Guard to do, and when she was off duty she was usually either in Build Club or hanging out with Axel. Jesse had yet to see Axel outside of her “Founder’s daughter” persona.

_Better just run for it,_ she thought with a mental sigh, gearing herself up for a sprint. _I hate getting wet._

 

“Fancy meeting you here, Jesse.”

 

She jumped out of her stance and turned around. Aiden learned against the wall, barely underneath the awning so he wouldn’t get wet. He stood with his thumbs in his pockets, giving her a small grin. Jesse let out a sigh.

 

“Oh, Aiden, you scared me,” she said, pulling her hair behind her ear. “I didn’t hear you.”

 

“Maybe you were distracted by the rain.” He flipped his brown hair out of his eyes and ran a hand down his vest.

 

“A little.” Jesse chuckled a bit. “Are you heading to Lukas’ too?”

 

“I was actually hoping to run into you,” Aiden replied. “I haven’t seen you around.”

 

“I’ve been at Build Club a lot,” she answered, smiling kindly at him.

 

“But we haven’t hung out lately, just you and me.” Aiden stepped forward, moving into her line of sight to block her view of the inn. “You wouldn’t be avoiding me, are you?”

 

Jesse gulped. “No. I just…”

 

“What?”

 

“I’ve just been busy with the others, you know?”

 

“Surely you can make some time for me though?”

 

 _Oh boy, how do I get out of this one?_ “Um, Aiden, listen…”

 

“I can guess. You don’t agree with what I think or the way I do things.” Jesse watched as he struck his hand out against the wall. “That I think the best stuff should be saved for the ones who deserve it.”

 

“I just don’t think you – or anyone really – is in a position to decide who deserves what,” she answered. She did not like the way he was starting to lean into her, and she glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone was coming out of the inn. There was no one. “It’s like what The Founder thinks, and I don’t agree with her either.”

 

“It’s interesting you have that opinion.” Jesse felt the iron blocks of the building press against her back as he said this. “You’re pretty familiar with The Founder’s beliefs, aren’t you, _Princess_?”

 

It felt as if the blood in Jesse’s veins had turned to ice, and the back of her head banged against the building behind her as she jumped. She stared at him with wide eyes as Aiden’s smirk widened.

_Oh crud._ _Crud, crud, crud!_

 

“I think you deserve the best, Jesse,” he whispered, leaning ever more closely. “We _both_ deserve the best. Let me show you.”

 

“But that’s—”

 

She was instantly cut off as his lips pressed against hers. She tried to push him off by shoving his chest, but Aiden simply grabbed her wrist and held it against the wall.

 

Jesse squeezed her eyes tight and refused to open her mouth, despite Aiden biting her bottom lip to try and coax her to relax. Even her attempts to shake her head didn’t make a difference, as Aiden moved to resume the kiss. She could feel her body shaking, and not because of the cold rain.

 

She let out a gasp as Aiden’s mouth was suddenly ripped away from hers, along with the rest of his body. Jesse slid down the wall of the building, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She took many deep breaths and she tried not to focus on how her voice shook as she did so.

 

There was a thud and a crash and a yell from Aiden. Jesse finally looked up to see Aiden holding his hands up to his left eye, which was beginning to swell up with a large bruise. Petra stood between the two of them, her back ramrod straight, the way Jesse had only seen Petra stand when she was on duty in the palace. Her right hand was fisted, with a few small flecks of blood on her knuckles.

 

Aiden hissed, glaring at Petra with narrowed slits for eyes. Her expression matched his.

 

“I warned you.” Petra took a step forward and snapped her teeth. “I _warned_ you. Get out of here, creep.”

 

“You don’t get to tell me—”

 

“I am telling you. Go.” Aiden brought himself to his feet and glared. “Are you deaf?”

 

Jesse heard the splashing footsteps of boots leaving the area, and she watched Aiden’s back as he sprinted out of sight. Petra immediately turned and bent down to her. Jesse’s breathing was fast and shallow, and she gulped in an attempt to moisten her mouth.

 

“Jesse.” Petra put her hands on Jesse’s shoulders and gently squeezed them. “Jesse, can you hear me?”

 

Petra squeaked a tiny bit (though she would later deny this) when Jesse leapt into her chest, throwing arms around Petra and hugging her tightly. Petra’s eyes widened and she looked around. Once she was sure no one had seen them, she slowly lowered her arms around Jesse, returning the hug and patting her on the back, albeit a tad awkwardly.

 

Jesse couldn’t stop shaking, and she stammered as she tried to voice anything at all. “I couldn’t…why…”

 

“It’s okay, Jesse.” Petra looked towards Milo’s Inn, debating her next move. “Build Club’s going to be packed. We need someplace quieter.”

 

Jesse’s body continued to tremble, but Petra slowly lifted her to her feet, not releasing her hold. Jesse must have felt her friend pull away a little, because she yelped and pulled her closer, causing Petra to let out a gasp of air from the force.

 

“I’m noting going to let anything happen to you. I promise,” she said, her voice a whisper. “Aiden’s gone, and I’m going to get you somewhere safe, okay?”

 

Jesse could only nod in response, and this seemed to pacify her enough for her to loosen her grip. She took anther shaky breath.

 

“Petra, Aiden, he, he knows,” she stuttered. “About my…my secret…”

 

She heard Petra curse under her breath, her bright brown eyes showed she understood her friend’s concern, and she nodded. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.”

 

Petra led Jesse away from the inn, taking a detour down one of the smaller alleys that led to the eastern side of the city, away from the town square. It was a smaller but nicer part of town, in an area that Jesse had not yet explored. There were more flowers and banners in this area, although many of the plants were weighted down with the raindrops falling from the sky.

 

Petra led her to a small apartment building, opening a door that led to a hallway. Inside were several more doors, each with a corresponding number. Petra dragged Jesse to the one labeled five and she knocked. Jesse was still trembling.

 

“This is Olivia’s place,” Petra explained. “It’ll be quiet and safe here.”

 

“…Okay.”

 

It wasn’t a moment later that the door was opened and Olivia appeared. She only had to take one glance at Jesse before opening the door completely and ushering them in. The goggle-wearing girl led them to her couch where she placed Jesse down.

 

Petra let out a relieved sigh. “I was worried you might be at Build Club.”

 

Olivia shrugged. “If I was, you know where I keep my spare key. What happened?”

 

Jesse gulped and closed her eyes, her feet tapping the floor from her quivering. “I was…it…he…”

 

“Aiden happened,” Petra answered for her, snarling with bared teeth. “Little creep forced himself on her.”

 

Olivia’s eyes went wide and she blinked. “No way!”

 

“Yes way.”

 

“Are you all right?” Olivia directed the question to Jesse this time. She sat on the couch next to her and wrapped her arms around her. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

 

“No, but…” Jesse shook her head, trying to banish the memories from her eyes.

 

“Oh, that little…” Olivia’s wide nose flared at the thought. “I would’ve given him one good if I’d been there!”

 

“I did it for you,” Petra said. “Think he’ll have a black eye by tomorrow.”

 

“Good. Serves him right!”

 

Their friend was still quiet during their short conversation. Petra cleared her throat.

 

“I’ll be right back,” she announced, heading for the door again. “I’m going to go get Lukas.”

 

Jesse’s gaze snapped up to her at this. “No! You can’t tell him that—”

 

“That his so-called friend just forced himself on his girlfriend? Yeah, he _has_ to know.” Petra’s gaze softened at Jesse’s worried expression. “I know what you’re thinking, and you’re wrong. Lukas’ isn’t going to blame you.”

 

“Absolutely not!” Olivia agreed. Petra was out the door a second later. “You know he won’t.”

 

“Yeah. I just…” Jesse kept her eyes closed. “I just can’t believe that happened.”

 

Olivia licked her lips and stood up. “Wait here a minute.”

 

Jesse did as she was instructed. As Olivia left to go into another room, Jesse tried to control her breathing. It was not exactly calming to think of Lukas seeing her like this, but at the moment Jesse wanted nothing more than to be enveloped in his warm embrace.

 

She then realized what Petra had called her. _Lukas’ girlfriend?_ _I think I like that._

 

Her thoughts were disrupted by the sound of clanking tableware, signaling that Olivia must be in the kitchen. The sound of pouring drinks distracted her from her shaky breaths. She looked down at her hands, seeing that they were still shaking, although not as badly as they first had been. Jesse tried taking a few deep breaths to calm her quickly beating heart. For the first time, her eyes started to water, and she fisted the tears away.

_The last thing I want is for Lukas to see me crying,_ she thought. _He’s going to think I’m such a wimp!_

 

Jesse could feel her pulse slow as Olivia returned to the couch and placed a mug of steaming brown liquid in front of her. Olivia sat on the floor across from the coffee table, crossing her legs and taking a sip of her own drink. Jesse flexed and relaxed her fingers.

 

 _No, he won’t think that._ _Lukas is more sensitive than that._ The thought brought a very small smile to her lips, although it didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Why…can’t I stop shaking?”

 

“Because you had a jerkwad harass you in the worst way possible. That’s why,” Olivia stated, as if it were obvious. “It’s okay. Anyone would have that kind of reaction.”

 

Jesse very carefully grabbed the mug from the table and took a small drink. The warmth of chocolate flowed over her tongue and down her throat, not so hot that it would burn her, but it did take the chill from the rain off.

 

“Olivia! This is hot chocolate!”

 

The other girl chuckled. “I know that. I prepared it after all.”

 

“This is really hard to get,” Jesse reminded her. “The Founder hardly ever lets anyone have cocoa.”

 

“I know. I was saving it for a special occasion.” Olivia paused and took another sip. “Or an emergency, which this definitely qualifies as.”

 

Jesse gave her a grateful smile, and this time it was more sincere. “I owe you one.”

 

She was thankful that Olivia didn’t try to force her to talk about what had occurred to her …was it really only fifteen minutes ago? The clock on the wall above the door seemed to think so. But Olivia was quiet, only speaking to offer Jesse a blanket or another cup of hot chocolate. Jesse knew she wanted her to talk about what happened, but also didn’t want to push her more than she was comfortable. Olivia clearly knew when silence was the better companion.

 

That silence was broken when Lukas came barreling into the small apartment, slamming the door against the opposite wall. He was panting, showing that he had run the whole way from his father’s inn to Olivia’s apartment. The moment he spotted Jesse sitting on the couch, he rushed and put his arms around her. Jesse happily leaned into the grasp.

 

“Petra told me what happened,” he said, running his hands over her hair. “Are you okay?”

 

“I am now.” With the help of a safe spot and chocolate, Jesse was feeling much calmer. “Sorry for taking you from Build Club.”

 

“Forget it. You’re more important.” Lukas tightened his grip for a second before releasing her. “How can I help? What do you need? Anything I can do to make you feel better?”

 

“Is there anything _any_ of us can do?” Olivia corrected him.

 

Before she could even answer, Jesse found herself being hugged by Olivia from the other side, while Lukas remained at her front. Petra wedged herself between the coffee table and the couch so she could envelope all three of them in a huge. With the widest arm span of the group, she was able to pull this off.

 

“Don’t get used to this,” she whispered. “I’m not doing this hugging stuff all the time.”

 

Jesse shook her head as she was released, this time keeping her smile. “Thanks, guys. For just…being here. That’s more than enough.”

 

“I want to say I can’t believe Aiden would do this, but I can’t. Not in good conscience.” Lukas’ face twisted into a deep scowl. “I want to go punch his lights out!”

 

“Petra already beat you to it,” Jesse laughed. “And you’re not the only one. If Aiden ever tries that again, I’m going to kick him square in the—”

 

“I think Jesse’s feeling better,” Petra teased.

 

“I’m still going to talk to him,” Lukas declared. He then turned his eyes to his best friend. “I’m sorry, Petra. You tried to warn me about Aiden and I didn’t listen. Now look what’s happened.”

 

“If you’re going to start blaming yourself, stop it.” Jesse pressed her face against Lukas’ shoulder. “There’s no one to blame but Aiden himself.”

 

“This coming from the person who thought you would blame her for it,” Olivia mentioned.

 

Lukas chuckled. “Not who’s being pointlessly guilty?”

 

“We could argue blame back and forth all night long—”

 

Jesse was cut off when Petra sniffed loudly. “Hey, is something burning?”

 

Olivia paused for a brief moment before jumping up and rushing to the kitchen. She let out a groan of clear disappointment that echoed from the stove to the living room. She brought in a smoking pot and slammed it onto the coffee table. Everyone stared at it, taking in the pungent smell of burnt chocolate.

 

“Well.” Olivia paused for effect. “That worked out well, didn’t it?”

 

“That looks more like something other than hot chocolate, Olivia,” Petra teased. Olivia gave her a punch in the shoulder, which Petra didn’t flinch at in the slightest.

 

“Yeah, I think I’ll pass.” Lukas held his nose, stifling his voice. “Man, that stinks.”

 

“I’m pretty sure that’s chocolate abuse,” Jesse joined in.

 

“I guess I better turn myself in?” Olivia turned to Petra and held out her wrists.

 

Petra face palmed. “You guys are never going to stop doing that, are you?”

 

The room was filled with mirth at the joke, although Petra was a little more subdued than the others. As they continued their conversation, Petra kept given Jesse very distinct looks, her eyes darting to Lukas in a not-so-subtle way. Jesse didn’t have to guess what she was trying to tell her.

 

 _I know Petra._ _I need to tell him._ Jesse looked at Lukas with a small smile, which he returned eagerly, showing his flawless teeth. _Especially if Aiden knows about it like he suggested._ _“Princess?”_ _Bah._

 

Jesse scooted closer to Lukas so she could snuggle into his chest and his slightly pudgy belly.

 

 _I will tell him, but not tonight._ _I want to enjoy this while I can._

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone. Short chapter this time around, but the next chapter I think will be one that’s been long coming. Before we get to the chapter itself, I’ve got something to ask. If you just want the chapter, feel free skip past this.
> 
> We good? Okay. So this story is a little less than halfway done. I’m planning about twelve more chapters, give or take, based on my outline. After that, I would like some suggestions for what I should post next. I have some ideas already, which are the following:
> 
> 1\. Sequel to Rebel of Sky City, taking place five years after. Basically equivalent to season two.
> 
> 2\. A sort of crossover of MCSM with Harry Potter, but without any characters or lore from Harry Potter. Basically replacing HP characters with MCSM characters and plotline.
> 
> 3\. A portal hopping adventure, dealing with the Order’s adventures between episodes six and seven of season one. I would be taking suggestions from readers if anyone would like.
> 
> 4\. Something entirely different, with suggestions welcome.
> 
> I likely won’t finish Rebel of Sky City before MCSM season two is finished and released, just to give you all a timeline. Any input you guys can give me would be great! But please don’t feel obligated to do so if you don’t want. This is entirely voluntary.
> 
> If you have anything to share, please leave a review with your vote, or go to my Fanfiction.net account (found here: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1106919/shielddrake42) and leave a vote on the poll there. I really appreciate any participation to help me come to a decision. 
> 
> Thanks a bunch, everyone!
> 
> Now, enough of all that. Time for the chapter!

 “I could really use some cake right about now,” Axel complained as he and Petra left the palace for the day.

 

Guard duty ended for day. The two of them had spent the majority of daylight standing watch in the throne room while The Founder distributed out resources from the petitions she had approved. It was perhaps one of the most boring shifts to be assigned. Obviously, no one in their right mind would dare to do anything to harm The Founder in her own throne room. Axel managed to hide a few of his yawns by holding his hat over his lower face. This did not go unnoticed by Petra on the other side of the room however.

 

“Maybe you need some coffee instead of cake,” she teased him afterward. “That’ll wake you up more.”

 

“Cake’s got sugar.” Axel had longed learned to never take Petra’s statements about his love of food seriously. “That’s better for bursts of energy than caffeine.”

 

“Point.”

 

Neither Petra nor Axel even got the chance to hang out with Jesse before or after their shifts either. Ivor was busy drilling The Founder’s daughter was being with review sessions, forcing her to spend the entire day studying in the library. Evidently, Jesse was having issues with her test scores (something Petra had a hard time believing, since Jesse knew most crafting and building recipes off the top of her head) and needed to improve before she had free time again.

 

While in the throne room, Petra wanted to call out the unfairness of the petitions The Founder rejected, but she managed to bite her tongue. She was still new in the Guard and hadn’t gotten the opportunity to even see where the leader of Sky City kept the inventory from the Eversource. She couldn’t risk blowing her cover before she found it and figured out a way to covertly take some for Build Club.

 

 _Don’t let it trigger you,_ she had to keep telling herself, and she was relieved when they were done with that shift and could go home.

 

“Wish they gave us better boots to stand in.” Axel sat down on the bottom step leading to the palace entrance. Petra smirked as he pulled off his shoe and began rubbing the sole of his foot. “These things are so stiff. I’m going to get blisters for sure.”

 

“The uniforms sure leave a lot to be desired,” Petra concurred. She had switched out her own uniform into her civilian clothes at the first opportunity she got. She stretched and looked up at the stars. “Sky’s clearing. Should be nice for the Fall Moon Faire.”

 

“Yeah. If only we weren’t assigned Guard duty that night.” Axel put his shoes back on and let out a huff. “Man, talk about drawing the short straws.”

 

Petra shrugged. “That’s what we get for being at the bottom of the pile. We get stuck the unwanted jobs first.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” The large man shrugged his heavy shoulders. “Can’t wait until we can sigh up for shifts instead of just being assigned them.”

 

“You and me both, pal.”

 

Axel kept going on about finding something to snack on, but Petra was distracted by the mop of blond hair that dashed across the town square. It ducked and weaved between the grouped citizens standing around as it made its way. Petra watched as her best friend ducked into a alley, which she knew led to a dead end where Aiden’s home was.

 

“Oh no.”

 

Without thinking, she took off after Lukas. Axel called her name and followed, his height being the one thing helping him keep track of her red hair.

 

“Petra! What’s going on?”

 

Petra stopped at the entrance to the alley and looked down. Sure enough, Lukas and Aiden were facing off. The former was standing in a wide posture. The uncharacteristic flush on her friend’s face made her stomach drop. The latter, on the other hand, was shaking his fists in Lukas’ face and baring his teeth. This wasn’t anything new but still disconcerting.

 

 _Oh boy._ _Lukas is_ pissed _!_ Petra shook her head. _I told him not to confront Aiden without me there!_

 

Petra and Lukas had this argument the night before. Jesse had gone home and Olivia had kicked everyone out of her apartment. Lukas was determined to talk to Aiden right that moment, likely to give him a piece of his mind. Petra convinced him to wait until the next day when she got off her shift. This would give Lukas enough time to cool off so he could face Aiden with a clear head.

 

She should’ve figured Lukas would do something like this. Normally, Petra was the one who would want to go and do something reckless. Lukas tended to be the more levelheaded one. Oh, how times had changed.

 

Petra insisted on being there in case the confrontation came to blows. Based on the forceful and livid movements of Lukas’ arms, it wouldn’t surprise her if he gave Aiden a matching black eye on his other side.

 

“What’s going on?” Axel asked, having caught up to her. He looked down the alley where her gaze had fallen and immediately saw the dispute taking place. “Friends of yours?”

 

“One of them is.” Petra held up a hand to say to him to stay put. “Stay put. This is a bit private.”

 

Axel glanced back and forth between Petra and the quarreling pair. “If you say so, I’m coming down there the moment I smell trouble.”

 

Petra smiled at him in thanks before quickly making her way to the dead end. As she approached, she realized that Gill and Maya from training were backing Aiden up, although they were not participating in the argument itself. Aiden was mouthing off in his usual way, and Lukas was pointing a finger and snarling in a way Petra had never seen before.

 

_I don’t think I’ve ever seen Lukas this angry._

 

“—what you were thinking!” Lukas’ voice was low and nearly a whisper, and Petra was sure his tone would block out the sun with how dark it was. “I can’t believe you would do something like that!”

 

“Jesse wasn’t running away, was she?” Aiden sneered. “She was enjoying it.”

 

Lukas’ long nose flared. “If you saw the way she was shaking last night, you wouldn’t be saying that!”

 

“Lukas!” Petra called out to him, walking up to stand next to the young man as they faced the other three. “You were supposed to wait for me, you idiot.”

 

“Do you have any idea what you did?” It seemed Lukas hadn’t even noticed Petra’s approach. He was focused entirely on Aiden. “She was shaking like a leaf and crying! How is that enjoying it?!”

 

“She was just startled.” Aiden put his hands on his waist. “She’ll get used to it once she figures out I deserve her more.”

 

“Wow, you’re not even _trying_ to be subtle now.” Petra crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “What next? You going to say the stars were aligned to mean you and Jesse were destined to be together?”

 

“That’s what he told us.” Petra recognized the deep voice of Gill as he stood behind Aiden and Maya. Maya slapped her forehead while Aiden rolled his eyes. “What?”

 

“Shut up, Gill!” Aiden declared with a snarl. He waited a moment before addressing Lukas again. “I’m the only one who’ll ever deserve to be with Jesse. She’s mine.”

 

Lukas took a step towards him. “Jesse’s a person, not something for you to own.”

 

“You were right, Aiden,” Maya commented. “This guy is a whiny little dingus.”

 

“Told you so!” Aiden glanced at his new friends with a smirk.

 

“Why are you two hanging out with this tool anyway?” Petra asked them. “I mean, I’m not surprised, but how’d you even meet?”

 

“Same way you met this idiot,” Maya answered. “Just hanging out when we’re not on duty.”

 

“Not like you can talk anyway.” Gill glanced over to where Axel was still waiting at the entry to the alley. His arms were crossed and his brows furrowed. “At least we don’t hang out with the likes of him. When was the last time that loser could see his whole body in a mirror?”

 

Maya laughed out loud. “Good one, Gill!”

 

Lukas, who was still going at it with Aiden, interrupted whatever retort Petra was going to give. “You don’t get to decide what Jesse wants or deserves. That’s _her_ decision! Not yours and not mine!”

 

 _And_ that’s _the big difference between these two,_ Petra thought, smiling at Lukas. _Who’s the one giving Jesse the choice?_

 

“And she’ll decide to pick me,” Aiden contended. “You know it. I know it.”

 

“You’re delusional, Aiden,” Lukas hissed. “I saw Jesse after you attacked her. I saw how she reacted, how upset she was. I’d say I have a better idea of how she thinks than you do.”

 

Petra smiled and nodded emphatically at this statement. _That’s a fact._

 

Aiden snorted. “Really? You know so much about Jesse?”

 

“Much more than you.” Lukas stood up straight and looked Aiden dead in the eye. “When was the last time you had a normal conversation with her where you weren’t being a jerk? I actually listen to her, and we talk about everything.”

 

“Everything? Really?” Aiden laughed at this. Maya and Gill echoed it, although their tone showed they weren’t quite sure why they were all laughing. Aiden glanced at Petra with a raised eyebrow. “What do _you_ have to say about that Petra?”

 

Petra let out a very small gasp, trying to keep it as quiet as possible. She must have failed, because Lukas’ spun his head around to look at her.

 

 _Well, Jesse did say Aiden knew about her._ Petra kept Lukas’ gaze evenly, doing her best to keep any guilt from her face. _Jesse, I’m going to kill you for not telling him!_ _I can’t keep this up!_

 

“Let’s just say,” Aiden continued. “I know some things Jesse than you have no clue about, and that’s going to make all the difference in the end.”

 

Lukas narrowed his eyes at his former friend. Petra could see the gears turning in his head as he tried to make sense of what he was being told. Aiden moved his arms behind his body to clasp his hands, all the while keeping his chin up with his chest puffed out. Maya and Gill stayed by his side with full confidence in his words. Gill had his arms crossed and Maya stood with one hand on her hip, which she jutted out to the side.

 

“Aiden, that’s enough,” Lukas proclaimed. “You are not going anywhere near Jesse again. If I find you within ten feet of her…”

 

“That goes for two of us,” Petra added darkly, holding up her fisted hands as if she was going to attack. “But you already knew that.”

 

Down the alley, Axel noticed the aggressive stances each member of the group had taken. He rushed down the passage to reach them and stand beside Petra. Unlike her, he was still in his Guard uniform, so technically he could still be considered on duty. Regardless that his shift had long ended, Axel held himself as if he still was on patrol. His back straight and his eyes narrowed.

 

“You better not be causing trouble here, _civilians_.”

 

“Oh look, the knight in shining armor has come!” Maya mocked. “Surprised you came to the rescue without getting out of breath.”

 

“Shut up!” Petra shouted. “You leave him alone!”

 

“Get moving, you three,” Axel threatened with a scowl. “Before I arrest you for disturbing the peace.”

 

The three glared at the large man for a moment, and then turned to make their way out of the alley.

 

“You won’t be able to hide behind the Guard for long, Lukas,” Aiden muttered to him. “Don’t mess with me.”

 

Aiden knocked Lukas in the shoulder as he left, causing the blond to rub his arm from the hit. He watched the trio leave, waiting until they were completely out of eyesight and earshot before spinning to face Petra.

 

“What was he talking about?”

 

Petra shrugged nonchalantly. “No idea.” _Dang it, Jesse._ _I’m so going to kill you!_

 

“I would ask, but something tells me I don’t want to know.” Axel shook his head and smiled at Lukas. “Who’s this, Petra?”

 

“Yeah. Sorry. Introductions.” The ginger rubbed the back of her head. “Lukas, Axel. Axel, Lukas.”

 

“Nice to meet you.” Lukas held out a hand for the other man. Axel stared at it for probably longer than he should have without it being awkward, but he eventually shook it. “I guess Petra met you in the Guard?”

 

“Yeah. She was my partner during training,” he replied. “She’s awesome.”

 

“That’s obvious, buddy,” Lukas teased, and Petra’s face began to match her hair.

 

“Cut it out, guys.” Petra shook her head, but her smile betrayed her.

 

“Wait, I think she might’ve mentioned you, come to think of it,” Lukas recalled. “Something about liking to fight with your fists?”

 

He shrugged. “Yeah, but Captain Reginald wants us to use our swords.”

 

“I thought you weren’t on duty now?” Lukas directed this question to Petra.

 

“Oh, _now_ you remember that? After you go off and confront Aiden without me? Like you said you wouldn’t?”

 

Lukas at least had the good sense to blush in embarrassment. “Sorry. I couldn’t exactly wait anymore.”

 

“I could tell by your face,” said Axel. “And I couldn’t even hear what you guys were arguing about. But if Gill and Maya are involved, it can’t be good.”

 

“You know them?” Lukas cocked his head in curiosity.

 

“Not in a good way.” Axel’s smile faded and he shook his head.

 

“They’re the jerks from training I told you about, remember?” Petra retold.

 

“They should get along great with Aiden then,” Lukas sneered as he crossed his arms.

 

“I don’t like what he said at the end, about hiding behind the Guard?” Petra scratched her forehead. “And not being able to do it?”

 

“I don’t like it either,” Lukas admitted. “He’s obviously up to something. The question is, what?”

 

“We can find out. I’ll keep an eye on Gill and Maya on shift if you keep track of this Aiden fellow,” Axel suggested. “If they try to pull anything, you’ll be the first I tell.”

 

“You’d do that?” Lukas’ eyebrows shot into his fringe. “You don’t even know what we fought about.”

 

“No, but you’re Petra’s friend,” he insisted. “And any friend of hers is a friend of mine.”

 

Lukas blinked a few times but finally smiled. “Thanks. Axel, was it?”

 

As the two men started chatting away, Petra craned her neck so she could spot Aiden, Gill and Maya in the crowd by the Grand Fountain. They stooped down together and whispered to each other about what must be some great secret. Petra let out a sigh.

 

_Jesse, I really hope you know what you’re doing._


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, to TheAmberShadow, thank you so much for finding my mistake so I could fix it! If anyone finds problems with this story, please let me know! I really appreciate that kind of feedback!
> 
> I’m still looking for input regarding my next project. Please see the notes in chapter 11 for details.

“How many cookies are you planning to eat?” Jesse teased Lukas as he shoved another one down his throat. “I hope you don’t feel sick in the morning.”

 

“I get to eat as many cookies as I want tonight without anyone telling me not to,” Lukas explained. The fact that he was referring to The Founder did not need to be verbalized. “No lines, no limited rations, no petition for a special treat. Of course I’m going to eat as many as I can.”

 

“Hey, no judgment here.” Jesse put her hands up in surrender, smiling at her boyfriend. “I just don’t want you feel sick later.”

 

“If I do, it’ll be worth it.” Lukas finished the cookie and swallowed. “The Fall Moon Faire is the one night of the year you get to enjoy any food I want without having to pay for it. There’s a reason it’s the most popular festival of the year.”

 

Jesse glanced around as she nibbled a piece of cake of her own. Lukas was right about one thing: the Fall Moon Faire was the best time to eat things you didn’t get to. This was especially true since The Founder went out of her way to provide the people with any crafted food items they desired. It was one of the few times of the year that Isa was particularly generous with the Eversource.

 

The Founder had been swamped with petitions for food-related crafting. Meanwhile, the supervised crafting tables had been packed for days leading up to the Faire. Pretty much no other building took place during that time. The Sky City citizens were all like Lukas, wanting to enjoy any foodstuffs that weren’t normally available or affordable. One would have to be crazy to miss out on that.

 

The lack of crafting other items didn’t stop the Faire from being a blast. The food booths were crowded with so many people it was impossible to move around. Lukas had a few sore toes from where they had been unintentionally stepped on. It was a surprise none of the Guard had to intervene yet.

 

Redstone torches were hung around the Faire, adding to the light of the stars and the full moon hanging in the sky. Citizens were eating, chatting, and drinking merrily. The cacophony of noise was enough to keep anyone who was trying to sleep awake. Jesse claimed she never imagined people could be so boisterous. It was simultaneously enlightening and annoying. The children were the loudest, with a couple of them even starting small food fights in the town square.

 

 _As long as no one accuses them of “Egregious Wasting of Resources._ Lukas was unable to keep a smile from his face as he watched the kids play. _The moment a guard tries, I’m intervening._ _I don’t care what Dad says._

 

Lukas quickly had his fill of cookies, his favorite dessert. Jesse ate some as well, though she was more drawn to the various cakes available. Lukas probably wanted to hang out at the cookie booth so he could watch the way the lighting from teh torches shone on Jesse’s dark hair. The light made it look more like a shining blue than the deep black he knew it was. The light also contrasted well against her green eyes, making it look like the sun was in her eyes. Then again, there didn’t need to be torches around for Lukas to think that.

 

“Do I have something on my face?” Jesse asked, noticing his staring.

 

“A few pretty things,” he said, and then wanted to slap himself. What kind of a line was that? “Not food or anything like that.”

 

Jesse let out a small guffaw and blushed, tucking her hair behind her ear. This did not help Lukas’ watching, his gaze going up and down her face to take in all her features.

 

With only a small bite of cake still in her hand, Jesse turned to look at him. Lukas felt like she was giving him the same visual scrutiny as he was to her. He straightened his shoulders and raised his eyebrows for a split second.

 

_I wonder if she would mind if I—_

 

Lukas let out an oomph as another body crashed into his. It wasn’t enough to knock him down, but enough to make him stumble towards Jesse. She caught him and helped to keep him on his feet, and the two of them turned to see who had caused the crash.

 

“Sorry, son,” Milo said, giving the pair a crooked smile. “Hi, Jesse.”

 

“Hi, Milo,” she replied, grinning. “Enjoying the Faire?”

 

“I would be if I wasn’t in trouble.” Milo’s eyes dashed around, keeping a look out for something.

 

“Trouble?” Lukas stepped towards his father with worried eyebrows. “What kind of trouble?”

 

“Not that kind of trouble, son!” Milo laughed a little. “I don’t mean to worry you. It’s got nothing to do with the Guard.”

 

Lukas let out a long breath. “Okay. Don’t scare me like that.”

 

“I’ll try not to.” Milo was still twisting his neck around, watching the crowds.

 

“Um, if it’s not the Guard…” Jesse cocked her head a little. “…then what’s the trouble exactly?”

 

Milo smiled. “I may have gone a little too far with small prank involving some glowstone and a bucket of milk…”

 

“Milo!”

 

The older blond jumped and then started running off to hide in the throngs of people. “I’ll explain later! Got to go!”

 

Milo managed to slip out of sight when Philippe showed up. His black hair was soaked with dripping white liquid. Lukas immediately recognized it as milk, not only because of the color but also from the smell emanating from it. Milk could spoil pretty quickly after it being dumped on someone’s head.

 

Philippe’s expression was not one of amusement, so it was likely that Milo’s prank had somehow gone too far. Lukas noticed that Jesse was biting her finger to try and keep a laugh from escaping her mouth. Lukas had to admit he wasn’t far behind.

 

“How’s it going, Philippe?” he asked.

 

“I’m going to kill your father,” Philippe declared flatly.

 

Lukas couldn’t help the snort. “And why is that?”

 

“It might have to do with the milk in his hair, Lukas,” Jesse joked.

 

“I’m going to show him what happens when he does his stupid pranks when I’m talking to a lady,” Philippe announced. His lips pouted and his eyes narrowed. “I know he came this way. Which way did he go?”

 

Not wanting to incur the man’s wrath any more, Lukas pointed in the direction Milo had run. Philippe was gone before either of them could say another word. The couple glanced at each other for a moment, and then looked back at him. Jesse raised an eyebrow and her head cocked the other way.

 

“I don’t know if I want to ask.”

 

“Might be best if we don’t.” Lukas held his stomach for a moment as he laughed. “This isn’t the first time one of them has pranked the other. It’ll be fine.”

 

“Hey, Lukas?”

 

The blond turned to look at her, but before he knew it, Lukas found a piece of cake shoved in his face. He sputtered as he shook his head and wiped the frosting from his eyes. He stared at Jesse and her entertained, smug expression, and she chuckled as she spun around and ran off.

 

“Hey, you!” He called as he chased after her. “I’m going to get you for that!”

 

Lukas was shocked at how fast Jesse was. She would occasionally slow down to look at him over her shoulder, her smile mischievous. She ducked and weaved around the people, apologizing each time she nearly ran into someone. Lukas was able to keep her in his sights, but the number of people at the Faire made it difficult for him to catch up with her.

 

After a few minutes of chase, he paused with a grin. “I know these streets much better than you do, Jesse.”

 

Making a sharp turn to the left, Lukas bolted from the crowds and into the smaller streets surrounding the town square. Technically, it was a greater distance than going straight through. But this allowed him to reach the other side more secretly than if he had continued his pursuit. Lukas managed to position himself in front of Jesse without her knowing it. He ducked behind one of the pillars next to the unguarded furnace, which no one would dare go near with so many eyewitnesses around.

 

He waited, stealthily and patiently, until Jesse was close enough that he could hear her panting for breath. She turned to see where Lukas had gone with a frown.

 

“I couldn’t have lost him that easily…”

 

“Ha!”

 

Jesse let out a small shriek as Lukas jumped out from his hiding place and grabbed her by the waist. He pulled her behind the column, concealing them both from the people around them. Jesse relaxed when she saw that it was Lukas, and she smiled at him.

 

“All right, you got me.” She wiped the remaining frosting off his face. “Sneaky man.”

 

“That’s what you get for wasting a perfectly good dessert.”

 

Jesse flicked the last bit of cake off his nose and stared into his eyes. He felt as if he could look into those eyes forever.

 

Lukas gulped. _She’s not pulling away._ _That’s a good thing, right?_ _Maybe I should…No._ _Don’t push it._

 

The noise around them seemed to drop as they sat together. Jesse glanced down, her smile small but bright. She placed her hands on his shoulders, lifting herself from her place against the column so she was facing him straight on. Lukas dared to raise a palm to her cheek, causing Jesse to give out a little gasp. He leaned in until their noses were touching, and he could feel Jesse’s breath on his lips.

 

“Have you seen that dark-haired girl spending time with Milo’s boy?” The couple jumped at the voice of a woman, and they broke apart. Lukas didn’t recognize her, but clearly she at least knew him in passing. “They make a rather cute couple, don’t you think?”

 

“Yes. Such a wonderful thing to happen for Milo,” another woman with a higher pitch said. “He’s been through so much. It’s nice to hear things are going well for that little family.”

 

The ladies’ voices diminished as they walked away. Lukas and Jesse looked at each other before bursting out into laughter.

 

“Have, have we become the topic of gossip for old ladies?” Jesse asked him.

 

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” he answered, hardly able to speak through his chuckling. “But I think so.”

 

Jesse shook her head. “If I ever become a gossiping old woman, you have permission to smack me.”

 

Lukas stood and held out a hand to help her up, but his mind was on her statement.

 

_Am I going to be around long enough for us to grow old together?_

 

Once they were on their feet, Lukas took her hand. “Come on. I want to show you something.”

 

The pair walked hand-in-hand as Lukas took Jesse away from the Faire. They walked to the outside of the main town square on the east side. There were a couple of guards posted around the edge of the booths, but they didn’t seem to pay any mind to the couple leaving the immediate area.

 

“Where are we going?” Jesse asked, to which Lukas only replied with a grin.

 

He led her to one of the smaller towers in Sky City, where most of the guards took up positions during routine patrols. This one was shorter than most of the others, being one of the first requisitions The Founder ordered. As the city grew and the need for a higher point of view was required, the older tower had been left vacant.

 

“I come here sometimes to watch the city,” Lukas explained. “It’s kind of like the outer wall where we hang out, but more private...and less likely for the guards to bug us.”

 

“I don’t know why The Founder hasn’t had this torn down.” Jesse glanced around the tower as they climbed. It wasn’t derelict in any way. Simply abandoned. “I mean, if The Founder’s so worried about resources, wouldn’t recycling them from buildings that aren’t being used be a good way to get them?”

 

“You’d think so, huh?”

 

They reached the top of the tower, and Jesse was still perplexed about why they were there. It appeared empty other than a single shuttered window, or at least she supposed it was. The lack of any light source made it hard to be sure. She stumbled a little, depending on Lukas’ grip to keep her steady.

 

“Wait until you see this.” Lukas brought her to the shutters and paused before pulling the shutters aside.

 

Jesse gasped at the sight. Although it was a shorter tower, the window was high enough to allow a view of the entire town square, where the majority of the Faire was taking place. The redstone torches glittered in the night, reflecting off the booths’ decorations as well as everyone’s skin and hair. She could hear the various conversations going on. The volume and overlapping made it impossible to distinguish them clearly.

 

The lights were low enough to allow them to see the stars above and the full moon in the sky. Together, this gave the visual impression that the sky was actually being reflected below. Of course, the most reflection came from the gold blocks on the palace. It was this amazing glittering that almost made the palace look like it was made out of light itself.

 

“Whoa.” Jesse couldn’t keep her jaw from going slack. She leaned on the windowsill to get a better look. “It’s amazing!”

 

“My mom brought me up here when I was little, and I come here every year to watch the Faire,” Lukas described, joining her at the sill. “When I’m not stuffing my face, that is.”

 

“I can see why!” Jesse smiled at him. “It’s awesome!”

 

“I’m glad you like it.” Lukas took her hand and squeezed. “It’s kind of a special place. My parents actually first met here.”

Jesse half closed her eyes. “It’s really special then. Thank you for sharing it with me.”

 

The pair were silent for a moment, enjoying the sparkling sight before them. Jesse rubbed Lukas’ hand as it held hers.

 

“Lukas, can I ask you something…pretty personal?”

 

“Sure. What is it?”

 

“What happened to your mother?” Lukas closed his eyes and lowered his head. Jesse gripped his hand tighter. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

 

“It’s okay. I brought her up.” He took a deep breath. “It was a few years ago. She got really sick.”

 

Jesse leaned into his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

 

“I think she would’ve liked you,” Lukas said, releasing her hand to put his arm around her shoulders. “And I have Dad now, and Petra and Olivia, and lots of other friends. And you. I’m okay.”

 

Jesse put her arm around his waist and squeezed. “For what it’s worth, I never knew who my father was.”

 

“At all?” Lukas jumped a little at this.

 

“No. It was always just Mother and me.” Jesse glanced around at the people below, seeming to distract herself for a moment before looking back up at Lukas. “Thanks, Lukas.”

 

“For what?”

 

“Everything. For being my friend, for showing me around town, for Build Club.” She smiled up at him. “Just…everything. You’ve opened my life up to so many things.”

 

“All because you dragged me into dancing at the Spring Festival.”

 

“Pretty much.”

 

Jesse chuckled, and they continued to cuddle for a time. Moments seemed to pass slowly until Lukas noticed that Jesse’s gaze had turned to the palace. He didn’t think much on this at first, but she kept her eyes on the huge monument to The Founder’s leadership. It was probably the only extravagant thing in all of Sky City. The citizens certainly weren’t left in poverty, but in comparison to the palace itself? It was more than necessary for a woman who lived by herself except for a couple of servants and a few permanent guards.

 

“Stained glass in the windows, huh?” He let out a sigh. “Do you think The Founder has the same view from up there?”

 

“No idea.” Jesse said this a bit quickly.

 

“I wonder why it’s so big.” Lukas finally spoke his mind. “I mean, not to be too critical, but why would The Founder need such a huge home?”

 

“Maybe she’s keeping things in there?” Jesse suggested. “Things that need space? Or it has to do with the Eversource?”

 

“Maybe.” Lukas shrugged, careful to not dislodge Jesse’s head. “Not like The Founder would ever share that with us. Have you ever seen the Eversource? Has anyone?”

 

Jesse pulled away from Lukas’ grasp and took both of his hands in hers. He watched the lights shine in her eyes, giving the impression of stars on her irises. This appeared artificial though. Their normal gleam was noticeably absent. She bit her lip and glanced up at him.

 

“Lukas, since we’re talking and sharing things and all right now,” she said, her voice stuttering a little. “I need to tell you something. Something really important.”

 

“Wait, Jesse. Can I go first?” Jesse paused for a second before nodding very slightly. Lukas took a deep breath. “Jesse, you…you drive me nuts.”

 

Jesse blinked. “Huh?”

 

“Oh boy, that sounded way better in my head.” He shook his head and closed his eyes. “I mean, being around you makes me crazy, but the minute I’m away from you I feel like a whole piece of me is missing.”

 

He opened his eyes to see Jesse’s staring back at him. Her eyes were wide and she was staring at him with her mouth slightly open. His gaze lowered to her lips for a split second before Lukas made himself meet her gaze again.

 

“Ever since we met, I haven’t been able to think straight. All I can think about is you. When you stand up for what’s right, I want to cheer you on. You show someone how to craft and I think of how kind you are to share your knowledge. You want things to be fair and do your best to achieve that. I can’t get you out of my head and it makes me feel like my head’s going to explode!”

 

Jesse’s face flushed red, and she rubbed the back of her neck.

 

“Like right now. I’ve rehearsed this in my head over and over and I’m still messing it up!”

 

“You’re rambling, Lukas…” Her voice was so quiet and weak. He didn’t think it sounded discouraging though.

 

“Remember how you mentioned being an old, gossiping woman? I want that to be real.” Lukas shook his head sharply. “Not the gossiping part, but the growing old together part. I want that.”

 

By this point, Jesse’s blush had crept down her neck and up to her ears. She kept smiling at him, giving him the courage to continue.

 

“I know…people always say to not expect a good thing to last. I don’t know where we’ll end up going, but right now I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” Lukas released her hands and ran a hand through his hair. His shoulders slumped a little. “I know that’s a lot to take in, but—”

 

“Lukas? May I do something crazy?”

 

Lukas was so wrapped up in his speech that he didn’t notice Jesse take a step closer. “Um, sure?”

 

Without further hesitation, Jesse put her hands on Lukas’ shoulders. She pulled herself up to press her lips against his, standing on her toes to do so. Lukas gasped but slowly returned the kiss, opening his mouth a little.

 

Then there was an uncomfortable clank as the two ended up striking their teeth against one another. Jesse pulled away with a moan and Lukas brought his hand to his mouth. It didn’t feel like his teeth were damaged in any way, but man, did that hurt!

 

“Ow!”

 

“Crud, I’m sorry!” Jesse scuffed her shoe, indicating that she wanted to kick herself. “I can’t even kiss right.”

 

“No, no! That’s not it,” Lukas said, gently taking her shoulder and turning her back to him. “I take it that was your first kiss?”

 

If her face could become any redder, it would have. “Um, yeah.”

 

“Then take it from me, first kisses don’t always turn out great.”

 

“And how would you know that?”

 

“My first kiss wasn’t that great either.” Lukas paused with a small grimace. “That might’ve been because it was Petra, but that’s besides the point.”

 

“Your first kiss was with _Petra_?” Jesse burst out into laugher. “ _Really?_ ”

 

“It was hers too, you know.” Lukas put his hands on his waist, pretending to look offended. “It was like kissing my sister, to be honest.”

 

Jesse took a few breaths to relieve her humor. “I’m not surprised by that.”

 

“Would you, um…” Now it was Lukas who was turning red. “Would you like to try again?”

 

“Can you show me how to do it better?”

 

“I’m no kissing expert, but I can try?”

 

Jesse’s smile remained as she reached up to him and kissed him again. This time she took it more slowly and let Lukas guide her. Their noses nudged at the start, but Lukas laughed and tilted his head so their lips could meet without obstacle.

 

She put her arms around his neck to keep her steady as Lukas wrapped his own around her waist to pull her closer. As Lukas continued to move his lips against her, Jesse reached up and gently ran a hand though his hair. He couldn’t help the groan as he felt the tips of her fingers against his scalp, completely ignoring the small tangle they created.

 

They released each other and took a few breaths. Jesse smiled up at him, her flush still present but for a different reason than before.

 

“That was much better.”

 

“I think you could still use some practice.”

 

Jesse shook her head. “Like you can talk, Mr. I’m-No-Kissing-Expert.”

 

Lukas laughed and pulled Jesse to him again. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while now.”

 

“Then why didn’t you?” Jesse asked.

 

“I didn’t want to be like Aiden.”

 

Jesse’s eyebrows rose into her hair. She put her hands on each of his cheeks and giggled.

 

“Lukas, you couldn’t be like Aiden if you tried.”

 

“Should I consider that a compliment?”

 

Jesse elected to rub their noses together rather answer that question. She looked up at the top of his head, where some of his blond hair was now sticking up at a funny angle.

 

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly.

 

Lukas lifted a hand to his head, felt the tangle, and shrugged. “Eh, forget it. Last thing on my mind right now.”

 

“For the record,” Jesse smirked. “You have excellent hair.”

 

The only thing Lukas did in response was give her a small peck on her lips. Jesse smoothed down his locks with a chuckle.

 

“What do you say to some more practice?” she asked, her tone innocent.

 

Lukas chuckled. “You took the words right out of my mouth.”

 

And practice they did, under the stars and the moon in the sky, but above the lights and the crowds of the Faire.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Strange question: If you could give Jesse (male or female) a different name, what would it be? I’m having a debate with a friend about gender-neutral names.
> 
> I’m still looking for input regarding my next project. Please see the notes in chapter 11 for details.

 

A week after the Fall Moon Faire, Jesse was practically dancing her way to breakfast. The skip in her step echoed off the iron walls of the palace, punctuated by the joyful hoof beats of Reuben as he pranced with her.

 

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Isa had important business that morning and didn’t have time to spend with Jesse. In a rare occurrence, this did not bother the young woman at all. Instead, she ate her food in silence with the exception is discussing her schedule for the day with Reginald. Reuben saw fit to make a mess of his own food, splattering it around the table in some form of abstract art.

 

Jesse’s thoughts were completely occupied by the vision of the young blond man she had fallen in love with. Since their first kiss, they had become much more openly affectionate with each other. The touches of their fingers, the kisses for no reason at all, and what Jesse loved the most, the hugs. She relished the feeling of Lukas’ strong arms around her shoulders. She preyed on this every chance she got.

 

Of course, all this caused Olivia to squeal, Milo to smile, and Petra to gag. None of that mattered to Jesse. Just the very thought of Lukas’ intelligent blue eyes brought a contented smile to her face.

 

The past week, Jesse had made sure she spent at least a little time with him every day. Even if it was only a few moments and even if it was late at night and everyone thought she had fallen asleep. Whether it was hanging out at Build Club or having a small meal with Lukas and Milo, Jesse relished in the flow of emotions and freedom she had never experienced before.

 

Reuben oinked at her as the two of them headed for Ivor’s classroom, having had their fill at the breakfast table.

 

“Oh shush. I’m not lovesick.” Reuben rose an eyebrow at her and snorted. “All right, fine. But can you blame me?”

 

His next oink was toned much less teasingly.

 

“You certainly are cheerful today,” Ivor commented. They had finished their morning lesson. “What’s got you so happy?”

 

“I’m just in a good mood today. That’s all.” Her voice almost sounded like it was singing.

 

“You’ve been in such a mood all week.” Ivor shook his head and focused on his papers. “Although I supposed I can’t blame you, considering your scores have improved and your mother is no longer hounding you about it.”

 

“That’s one reason, sure.”

 

Reuben gave out another snort. He was still amused by his human’s behavior, and all over someone he had never met. This human boy better get his approval before he did anything with his Jesse.

 

“Just because you’re in a constant sour mood doesn’t mean everyone else has to be,” Jesse mocked him, though her smile showed she was joking.

 

“Oh, ha, ha, ha.” Ivor rolled his eyes, an action Jesse knew he had picked up from her. “I’m as cheerful as I need to be, thank you very much.”

 

“And we wouldn’t have you any other way, Ivor.”

 

Ivor chuckled at the girl. “Nothing’s going to ruin your day today, huh?”

 

“Not likely, no.”

 

“Well, I know there’s something that’s going to make me happy.” Ivor dropped a book down in front of Jesse. “Your mother wants me to start teaching you my favorite subject.”

 

Jesse picked up the book with wide eyes. “Potions? You’re going to teach me how to brew?”

 

Indeed, Ivor did smile. “Don’t get too excited. We won’t be doing actual brewing for a while yet. We’re going to be working on theory for the next few weeks.”

 

“Hey, that’s a first step, right?” Reuben oinked in agreement. “This is so cool!”

 

Ivor’s face flushed a little at her declaration. Potions was something he had always been passionate about. He thanked his lucky stars The Founder chose him to be Jesse’s tutor. Otherwise, he would have never gotten to enjoy the serene complexity that was brewing. For his student to show even the slightest interest in his favorite subject was almost enough to bring a tear to his eye.

 

Almost.

 

“After you get back from lunch, your only assignment is to read the first three chapters and take notes.” Ivor returned to his desk and sat in his chair. “You’ll have a pop quiz tomorrow over what you’ve read, so be sure you get a good night’s sleep.”

 

“Aren’t pop quizzes supposed to be surprises?” Jesse cocked an eyebrow at him, and received a shrug in response. “Not much of a pop quiz then, is it?”

 

“Knowing you, you’ll be up half the night do who knows what and oversleep.”

 

“Hey! I don’t oversleep! …That much.”

 

Ivor chuckled and shook his head. “Go eat your lunch, Princess.”

 

Jesse groaned at the name, rolling her eyes as she and Reuben left Ivor to do whatever he normally did in the library.

 

She skipped her way down the halls on the way to the dining room. Jesse was sure lunch either was being served or was going to be served there shortly. Reuben oinked happily, and Jesse looked down at him with a grin as they walked.

 

“So you see, Founder.” Jesse froze as she came to an intersection where one short passage led to the throne room. “This club poses a huge threat to the sanctity of Sky City’s laws, and I felt I should inform you of it as soon as possible.”

 

_Crud!_ _That’s Aiden’s voice!_ Jesse jumped to the side of the opening, with Reuben close by her. She peaked around the corner. _What’s he doing here?_

 

Aiden was in fact standing before The Founder. She sat on her throne, with Reginald standing at attention to her right. Aiden stood with a respectful pose, his hands behind his back and his teeth showing in a sincere smile. The sight of it made Jesse’s stomach turn.

 

“And you are able to give us the location of this ‘Build Club’ I assume?” Isa asked, her tone both intrigued and angry. Jesse knew that was not a good combination. “Or perhaps the names of their leaders?”

 

“Of course, Founder,” Aiden replied with a respectful bow. “I even know the secret passage in the inn that leads to their chief meeting place. I can take your guards there, if you’d like.”

 

“What does he think he’s doing?!” Jesse whispered super loudly. Reuben glanced up at her with a worried expression. “He’s telling her about Build Club?!”

 

“Very good, Aiden. You have my most sincere thanks.” Isa stood from her throne and turned to her Captain. “Reginald, gather the Guard together. We will raid this Build Club and bring them in to face justice for disobeying our laws.”

 

“Yes, Ma’am!” Reginald saluted her. “I will get them together immediately.”

 

Jesse pulled back from her spying and pressed her back against the wall. Her eyes went wide and her breathing became erratic.

 

“They’re going to find Lukas and the others.” She licked her lips to moisten them. “I can’t let that happen!”

 

There was more conversation in the throne room, but Jesse didn’t stick around to listen. She took off through the palace halls in the direction of her room. Reuben was right behind her, squealing as he panted while to keep up to her. By the time they reached her bedroom, he was wheezing. Reuben wasn’t overweight by any means, but he wasn’t used to running around like that.

 

Jesse, however, seemed unaffected by the sprint. She locked the door and sped to her wardrobe, changing her clothes into a set of overalls as quickly as she could. After that, she rushed to the window, turning to give Reuben one last glance.

 

“Stay here, okay?” she said. “I’ve got to warn Lukas.”

 

Reuben gave her a quiet nod, not asking to accompany her this time. She practically slid down the ladder to reach the bottom. Jesse made her way into Sky City, bypassing the guard barracks faster than she normally would. She forced herself to not think about how her footsteps could probably be heard on the roof as she reached the secret alley. Stealth wasn’t important at the moment. Speed was.

 

Jesse was finally starting to run out of breath once she reached Milo’s inn. To her surprise and a bit of annoyance, she found it empty.

 

_Philippe must be out running errands,_ she thought. She rushed to the switch behind the counter and flipped it, opening the door to the passage to Build Club. _No time to waste!_

 

She paused, waiting until the door was completely open, and then flipped the switch again. Jesse jumped to the doorway, managing to dive through it before the secret passage closed up, returning to a normal wall in a normal inn once again. She could hear the various murmuring of the Build Club members in the distance and she shook her head.

 

“Got to…get every…one out…of here!” She was gasping from her run.

 

Jesse almost jumped down the staircase to the bottom level of the room, still not stopping to catch her breath. The people around her gasped, shocked by her sudden entrance. Lukas was there, along with Milo and Olivia. The three ran over to her once they realized what the source of the commotion was. Lukas reached her first, his eyes wide in astonishment.

 

“Jesse! What’s wrong? I thought you couldn’t come today.”

 

She gasped, unable to articulate anything while she was winded. Each time she tried to speak, she ended up huffing instead. Lukas put his hands on her shoulders.   


“Okay, Jesse. Take a deep breath,” he instructed her. “You need to calm down to talk and...are you wearing makeup?”

 

Ignoring the fact that she never wore makeup on days she went out to see Lukas, she shook her head.

 

“Lukas, The Founder knows about Build Club!”

 

“What?” Jesse wasn’t sure if it was Milo, Olivia, Lukas, all three, or everyone in the room who shouted this.

 

“Aiden just told her all about it, including how to find you,” she explained. “She’s sending the Guard here right now!”

 

Olivia gasped. “You’re sure? How do you know?”

 

“I…can’t explain that.” Jesse threw her arms around in annoyance. “It doesn’t matter! You guys have to get out of here! Now! Aiden even told them about the secret passage! They could be here any minute!”

 

“Jesse’s right!” Everyone glanced up the stairs to see Petra. She was still in Guard uniform, running inside the hidden chamber. She grabbed the railing on the second floor and looked down at everyone. Some of the club members gasped and shouted that the Guard was there, running to hide as best they could. Petra ignored them. “The Captain and his guards are already on their way.”

 

“Petra?” Milo stepped forward at last. “You’re supposed to be on duty, aren’t you?”

 

“Well, obviously I dropped that when I heard about the raid.” Petra shook her head. She nodded towards Jesse as she descended the stairs. “But she’s right. We’ve got to get everyone out before they arrive!”

 

“Got it!” Wasting no more time, Lukas sprinted to a lever located on the far side of the room. Flipping it caused another doorway to open, revealing a long tunnel on the other side. “Dad and I planned for this. This shaft leads to the surface a few blocks away. Everyone, get inside!”

 

Some of Build Club’s members were already running through, carrying as many crafting supplies as they could. Milo and Lukas directed them, shouting directions of who shuld grab what and what to do once they reached the surface. Petra stayed behind, keeping her eye on the passage leading to the inn. She pulled out the iron sword the Guard provided her and stood at the ready. Jesse watched her with wide eyes.

 

“Aren’t you coming?” she asked.

 

“I’m going to hold them off until everyone else is gone first.” Petra’s face was hard as stone and she spat on the floor. “I shouldn’t have believed that little creep would keep his mouth shut!”

 

“Petra, no.” Jesse shook her head. “I should’ve said something sooner. This is my fault.”

 

“Jesse? Petra?” Lukas called to them, joining their side and effectively ending the conversation. Milo waited behind him. “Come on! We have to go!”

 

“Lukas, I’m so sorry. This is—”

 

“Jesse, you have the worst sense of timing!” Petra whispered to her, causing Jesse to pause and Lukas to stare at the women with worried blue eyes. They're conversation was interrupted by the sound of pickaxes banging against the walls. Petra cursed and placed herself between them and the staircase. “Too late! They’re here!”

 

“Lukas! Jesse! Let’s go!” Milo called, still standing by the secret entrance. He urgently waved them over. “What are you waiting for?”

 

“I’ll keep them at bay so the rest of you can get as far as you can,” Petra declared, holding her sword out in front of her. “Go into hiding in the safe houses.”

 

“I’m not leaving you behind, Petra!” Lukas shook his head vehemently.

 

“I’m not either!” Jesse didn’t move from her spot either. “We’ll hold them off with you!”

 

“No, you’re not.” Petra didn’t face them, but Jesse could imagine the scowl on her face. “You’re wasting time just standing here and arguing! They’ll be through the wall at any moment!”

 

“All three of you are wrong.” Milo walked up to Petra and pulled out his own sword. “Build Club is my responsibility. If anyone’s staying behind, it’s going to be me. Get going!”

 

“Dad!”

 

“Milo!”

 

Shouts from the guards as they managed to make it through the secret door, stopping further argument once again.. Over a dozen guards poured into the room, some with swords and some with bows. The archers directed their arrows at Jesse and Lukas, who were the closest to the escape tunnel.

 

“Freeze! Don’t move!”

 

Lukas glanced behind him at the open door. He took a deep breath, spun around, and ran to flip the switch to close the door before any of the guards had the opportunity to go inside. The door closed in time to catch a couple arrows that had been aimed at Lukas. He looked over his shoulders, seeing the guards nock more arrows.

 

“That’s your last warning, all of you!” A guard shouted. “The next one won’t miss!”

 

Jesse didn’t dare move. Her feet were frozen on the ground as Lukas lifted his arms above his head. He took a few steps towards her, his eyes wide with concern. She followed suite and put her hands above her head in a show of surrender.

 

Milo and Petra, on the other hand, were not going down without a fight. The two of them did their best to fight against the guards without harming them. Jesse could only presume their plan was to knock the guards unconscious and then escape once the coast was clear.

 

This wasn’t to be however. Milo had become more adept at crafting, but he was not a warrior. He was soon disarmed and a guard managed to force him against the wall. Milo grunted as his face was pressed against the stone.

 

Petra, of course, had more training, so she was able to keep the guards at bay a little bit longer. Most of them were both perplexed and angry. Why would someone wearing a Guard uniform fight them like this? Ultimately, it didn’t stop them from fighting her. Although Petra was very skilled in combat, she was no match for five other guards. She was soon overwhelmed and shoved to the ground, her sword pried from her hand.

 

With the four “criminals” detained, the guards grabbed them and put their hands behind their backs. Jesse felt cold metal against her wrists. Out the corner of her eye, she saw handcuffs being placed on Lukas as well. The lump in her throat took her breath away, and she could feel tears starting to prickle her eyes.

 

Lukas heard her gasp, and he tried to give her an encouraging smile. His own concern made it look more like a grimace.

 

“It’s going to be okay.” His whisper was barely loud enough for her to hear. “I, uh, don’t know how yet, but it will be.”

 

Milo and Petra were pushed to stand next to them, making the four stand in a row. One of the guards went to the lever again, but once flipped it showed nothing but the darkness of the tunnel. Anyone who had been inside during the escape was long gone.

 

“No good, Captain,” the guard said. “It’s empty. Do you want us to follow?”

 

Jesse wasn’t sure her stomach could twist any tighter. Captain? That meant Reginald. She mentally cursed and felt her heart rate hasten. Sure enough, the Captain of the Guard stepped down the stairs with a stern expression. He glanced around Build Club’s meeting room with a sneer, taking in the various crafting tables and the stage for competitions. He shook his head.

 

“So sad to hear so many people would defy The Founder’s law so freely.” He stepped towards the escape passageway and glanced at it for a moment. “Don’t go down for now. Anyone who went this way is surely gone by now, presuming this leads to the surface. We’ll send an investigation down shortly.”

 

Reginald then marched over to the captives, glaring at Milo and Lukas before turning to Petra. His expression morphed into disappointment.

 

“Petra? Truly?” Jesse thought she could hear her friend clenching her jaw. “I did not expect my most promising new recruit to be involved in this.”

 

Petra remained silent, but at least had the sense to close her eyes in shame. Reginald shook his head again and sighed.

 

To Jesse’s absolute horror, he moved on to her next. Reginald must have been expecting someone completely different. His firm march nearly turned into a stumble as he reached her. Jesse kept her face down, keeping her gaze on her shoes as much as possible.

 

_Maybe if I don’t look at him, he won’t recognize me?_

 

No such luck. Reginald put a hand on her chin and lifted her face to his, and Jesse couldn’t help but look up at him. She had never seen Reginald with a more shocked expression. His composure was completely lost. The solid stance the Captain of the Guard was renowned for was gone. His mouth dropped open and his eyes widened, and for a moment words failed him.

 

“ _Jesse?!_ ”

 

She swallowed loudly and started biting her lower lip, remaining silent. Reginald squinted his eyes, as if he couldn’t believe what was before him.

 

“What in the world…Why…How?”

 

Now Lukas was staring at her too. She could tell he was wondering how the Captain of the Guard knew her so personally that her presence here would leave him speechless. Milo looked equally confused, but Petra didn’t. She obviously realized what was going on. Her eyebrows raised high into her forehead though.

 

Reginald stepped back, not taking his eyes off Jesse. He forced himself to take a deep breath and then steeled himself back into his normal poise. He turned to the other guards in the room.

 

“I will need to inform The Founder of what has occurred here.” Reginald’s tone was soft but sharp, leaving no room for argument. “I will report to her myself. Bring the four…criminals to the palace.”

 

“At once, sir!”

 

Reginald made his way out of the room. Jesse watched him leave, her face falling to the floor again.

 

Report to The Founder.

 

_He’s going to tell Mother._

 

Lukas stepped up to her. “How do you know Captain Reginald?”

 

A pair of guards grabbed her by her arms to propel her forward. Jesse’s tongue was unable to form words into an answer for him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mistakes and inconsistencies that were brought to my attention have been corrected. Thank you guys! Clearly I need a consistency editor. :)
> 
>  
> 
> This was going to be part of the last chapter, but that chapter was getting long so I decided to split it up.
> 
>  
> 
> I’m still looking for input regarding my next project. Please see the notes in chapter 11 for details.

“I heard the Guard was raiding some crafting club or something…”

 

“Looks like Milo’s in trouble again…”

 

“Why’d he take these kids along for the ride?”

 

“Isn’t that the girl from the Spring Festival?”

 

“Illegal builders? Atrocious!”

 

“Why would they disobey the law like that?”

 

Crowds had already formed in the streets, most likely from seeing the Guard march into Milo’s inn. The rumblings of gossip made Jesse sick. Didn’t anyone have anything more important to talk about?

 

She kept her head down as she and the others were taken through the streets of Sky City. The Guard existed to keep people from building and crafting without express permission from The Founder. Very rarely did anyone violate that law to the degree that they had.

 

In her entire life, Jesse had never actually gone through the main entrance to Sky City’s palace. Whenever she drifted in that direction, either her mother or one of the guards would guide her away. The passage leading from the front gates to the throne room was bare, other than some banners decorated with egg motifs. Jesse silently wondered if anyone else knew the reason for that particular adornment.

 

The throne room was bright, given the open space behind it to allow the view of the open emptiness beyond. There were more guards in the room than normal, including Axel, Gill and Maya. Jesse assumed this was to keep The Founder safe against the horrible “criminals” that were being brought in. Axel’s gaze didn’t leave Petra’s form, though his mouth did hang open a little once he saw her. Gill and Maya simply looked self-assured.

 

Even more to Jesse’s infuriation, Aiden stood on the bottom step leading up to the throne itself. This was Reginald’s normal place and the fact that Aiden was there instead gave Jesse no comfort. She growled in the back of her throat.

 

Reginald himself was at the top of the steps, whispering urgently into Isa’s ear as she sat primly on her throne. Her hands were folded in her lap and her back was straight. Jesse could see her furrowed brow as she listened to her captain’s report, wrinkles forming at the corners of her eyes.

 

The four builders were brought to the front of the throne, feet away from the first step. Aiden smirked as he saw Lukas and Petra at The Founder’s mercy. His expression melted into surprise when he saw Jesse there. After a few blinks of his eyelids, his face then became one of amusement, and he puckered his lips at her.

 

Jesse wanted to gag.

 

Reginald finally backed away from the throne and took Jesse’s normal place at her mother’s left. Isa glanced at each of the captives for several seconds, her eyes lingering a bit longer on her daughter. Jesse couldn’t help but shrink a little at the stare.

 

Finally, Isa stood up, her eyes closed for a moment. She opened them once she reached her feet, and she stepped down from the throne. She walked up to Milo first. He stared at her with narrowed eyes, and she matched his gaze with the same intensity.

 

“Milo. I should’ve known.” She shook her head in mock disappointment, her hands behind her back. She looked at Reginald out of the corner of her eye. “Could you tell how long this ‘Build Club’ has been going on?”

 

“Based on the environment and age of the items there,” Reginald reported. “It is likely that secret room has been present and used for several years, at least.”

 

Isa turned her glare back to Milo. “It would seem those ten years in prison for your last crime didn’t teach you anything.”

 

“There is no reason to prevent people from building,” Milo argued. Dribble sputtered from between his teeth. “It’s not as dangerous as you say and you know it.”

 

“It is far more dangerous than you can imagine,” Isa bickered back. “And to go around encouraging others to break our most sacred law? I should never have let you out of that cell.”

 

“You should never have put me in it.” Milo’s long nose crinkled at the nostrils. “You just want nothing but control over us! It has nothing to do with how dangerous building is!”

 

Isa ignored him, clearly tired of the argument already. Instead, she glanced over at Lukas, and their physical resemblance could not be missed.

 

“And to bring your own son into it as well.” She clicked her tongue. “How can you justify encouraging a child to be a criminal?”

 

If Milo had an answer, Lukas beat him to it. “It was my own decision, Founder.”

 

“I’m sure it was,” she sneered. Milo’s frown deepened as she passed over them to Petra. “And even here, one of our own, betraying us?”

 

Petra didn’t break eye contact. She simply pressed her lips together and stared.

 

“I told you in the beginning that upholding our laws and keeping the people safe was the utmost importance! And you use your privilege to aid criminals! How dare you!”

 

Isa took a breath and regarded Reginald again.

 

“You are screening for other traitors in the ranks?”

 

“Yes, ma’am.” He gave a stiff salute. “Lieutenant Gabriel is screening our forces right now.”

 

“Might this be related to the lax in some of our officers?”

 

“It could be, ma’am.” Reginald nodded. Jesse cocked her head. She had heard of officers not doing their work properly, but she was sure that had nothing to do with Petra. “All guards, new recruit and veteran, are being interviewed as we speak.”

 

“Very good.”

 

The Founder must have decided to leave Jesse for last, as she did not even look at her since she started her tirade. Isa slowly stepped over to her, standing before her daughter with straight shoulders. Jesse looked up at her, trying her best to keep her face neutral as the two of them had a staring contest.

 

Isa let out a long breath and grit her teeth. “Jesse. Never in my life did I expect to find you before me in this capacity.”

 

Jesse couldn’t help but nibble on her lip. She found she couldn’t look away from the green eyes of her mother. She had never been in trouble like this before, and now she was going to find out how far her mother’s anger could go.

 

Feeling Lukas’ gaze on her wasn’t helping matters either.

 

“This must be what really has been on your mind. What really has been distracting you.” The Founder put her hands behind her back again. Jesse knew her mother took this pose when she was trying to keep her temper under control. “I don’t know how you’ve been escaping, but I have _never_ been so ashamed of my daughter’s actions before. My own daughter!”

 

And then the other shoe dropped. Jesse cringed and looked away, now that her identity was revealed. Isa’s voice had been loud enough that there was no way her friends hadn’t heard.

 

Glancing away, however, made it so Jesse found herself facing Lukas, who was now looking at her with a wide eyes and eyebrows raised. He mouthed the word “daughter” to her, clearly a question, and Jesse couldn’t think of any way to respond.  


Isa broke the silent tension. Or at least, she broke the silence.

 

“How did you come in contact with my daughter?” She directed this question to Milo. “What have you told her?”

 

“I met Jesse months ago,” Milo explained. He seemed as surprised as his son. “I didn’t know she was your daughter.”

 

“You really can’t stop yourself from telling lies, can you?” Isa sneered. “Tell me the truth. How did you meet her and what foolish ideas have you been putting in her head?”

 

“It wasn’t Milo, Mother!” _No point in hiding it now._ “I left the palace on my own! I approached them! They didn’t even tell me about Build Club at first! They wanted to make sure I could be trusted!”

 

“ _They_ wanted to make sure _you_ could be trusted?” Isa chuckled darkly. “You have it backwards, Jesse. I’m sure they just wanted to earn your trust so they could fill your mind with lies and deceit!”

 

“I _am_ capable of making my own decisions, Mother!”

 

Lukas’ gaze was snapping back and forth between the two women, his face showing how much trouble he was having processing the scene before him. Jesse wasn’t sure which face she didn’t want to look at more: her boyfriend’s or her mother’s. She settled on her mother’s, because she was the one yelling.

 

“Obviously not, if you find yourself tricked by these criminals!” Isa rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I don’t think you need to be here right now, Jesse. I need to decide what to do with these people. Aiden?”

 

Aiden walked over and saluted, that sincere smile on his face again. Jesse rolled her eyes. Isa waved a hand at her.

 

“Aiden, please escort Jesse to her room,” she commanded, her voice becoming a sliver more gentle. “I will speak with her in a moment after I see to these ones’ imprisonment.”

 

“Imprisonment?” Jesse repeated the word as Aiden walked behind her and grabbed her handcuffed wrists. She pulled out of his hands. “Oh no! You are not giving me preferential treatment! If you call them criminals, I’m one too! I’ve been crafting illegally too!”

 

“We will discuss this in private, Jesse!” Isa turned her back on her daughter, focusing her attention on the others instead. “Now, you three…”

 

Jesse didn’t get to hear more of the ensuing conversation. Aiden grabbed her arms again and began leading her out of the throne room. She glanced over her shoulder to see Lukas watching her walk away, staring at her with eyes full of hurt.

 

Jesse struggled more furiously once she and Aiden were out of sight of the throne room occupants. His grip was firm, however, and he continued to push her down the halls. She didn’t want to think about how Aiden knew where her bedroom was in the palace.

 

“Let go of me, Aiden,” she ordered with a hiss, finally about to jerk her arms out of his grasp.

 

“You heard The Founder, your _mother_ ,” he replied, grabbing her again. “I’m to escort you to your room. No detours.”

 

“I know where I live, you know,” she protested. She could almost feel his smirk against her neck, and she felt the pressure of his hand on her hip. She snarled. “Don’t you dare.”

 

Aiden chuckled, giving her hip another squeeze as they continued to make their way to Jesse’s room. Once inside, Jesse waited as she felt Aiden mess around with her handcuffs. The moment they were off, she spun around and shoved Aiden out of her room, slamming the door in his face. She walked over to her bed and sat down, dropping her head in her hands.

 

Jesse felt the bed shift a little as something warm pressed itself against her thigh. Looking down, she realized Reuben had cuddled into her side, oinking quietly. She gave him a small smile and scratched him behind his ear.

 

“Hey Reuben. You’ve been in here the whole time?” He oinked in reply. Jesse let out a long breath. “I’ve messed things up. I mean, _really_ messed them up.”

 

She didn’t have to wait long before her door was opened again. This time, it was Isa who stomped through. She left the door open only long enough for Jesse to see Aiden still waiting at the entrance. He still had that pleased expression.

 

Her mother closed the door and then moved to the window. Jesse stood, realizing what she was looking for. She was too late to stop Isa from grabbing one of the ladders Jesse had been using for her escapades into town. There was a distant oink as she looked at the ladder with a narrowed eyes before turning to her daughter.

 

“So this is how you’ve been getting out?” she asked, obviously rhetorically. “I shouldn’t be surprised. You could lock your door, pretending to be studying, and sneak out with no one the wiser! Why didn’t I think of this before?”

 

Jesse put her hands out passively. “Mother, if you would just let me explain—”

 

“What is there to explain? You’ve been sneaking out of the palace and cavorting with the illegal crafting trade!” Isa threw the ladder onto the ground, where it landed next to Jesse’s wardrobe. “Do you realize what you’ve done?!”

 

“I’m sure you’ll tell me,” Jesse muttered. “I’ve heard it all before.”

 

“Then I shouldn’t need to remind you what it’s like out there! Have you learned nothing from what I’ve told you?”

 

“I’ve learned what it’s like to not be isolated all the time! I’ve learned what great people this city has! And I’ve learned what it’s like to not be able to craft whatever I want, whenever I want!”

 

“What you should have learned is how dangerous it is out there!” Isa rubbed her temples. “Jesse, all the precautions I’ve taken over the years have been thrown into the Void because of your actions! So many people know about you, what you look like, what you know and that you’re my daughter. How can I keep you safe if you insist on putting yourself in danger?”

 

“I’m not putting myself in danger, Mother!” Jesse insisted. “I’ve grown so much these months that I’ve been going out there! I’ve gotten to know the people of Sky City, and they’re not like you think they are! They’re kind and loyal and they help each other through everything! If there are dangerous people out there, they are the exception, not the norm!”

 

“Perhaps some of them. Most of them even,” Isa partially conceded. “But if it was all of them, then we wouldn’t need to have any guards at all, would we? There are plenty people out there who would do anything to take advantage of you.”

 

“Lukas isn’t like that. He’s—”

 

“Lukas? That must be Milo’s boy.” Isa started pacing, but didn’t stop watching her daughter. “I can’t wait to hear what lies he’s filled your head with! What dangerous things he’s made you do! Trying to turn you against your own mother and everything I’ve taught you!”

 

“Lukas didn’t even know I was you daughter until about ten minutes ago!” Jesse couldn’t help but stomp her foot. “When you announced it right in front of him!”

 

“What?” Isa’s strides stopped and she raised an eyebrow. “You honestly didn’t tell him?”

 

“What do you think I am? An idiot?” Jesse threw her hands up in exasperation. “Of course I didn’t! Not at first…I was planning on it…”

 

“And that would’ve been your greatest mistake, trusting him with that.” Isa pressed her lips together. “The son of a known criminal, clearly a criminal himself, along with several others—”

 

“Lukas is not a criminal!” Jesse shouted. “And neither is Milo or Petra!”

 

“They run an underground building club, defying the very foundation that Sky City stands on!” Isa straightened herself up so she could look down at Jesse. “A club that would remain secret if it hadn’t been for Aiden reporting their illegal activity.”

 

“Oh, you want to talk about trust? What makes you think you can believe anything Aiden says?” Jesse panted a little so she could shout again. “He’s part of Build Club too! That’s how he knows all about it! He can’t be trusted! He’s just going to betray you too! That’s who he is!”

 

“He’s the one who informed me of Build Club’s existence, something my own daughter failed to do.” Isa put her hand to her temple again. “I just don’t understand, Jesse. You were safe here. I could get you anything you wanted from the Eversource. I gave you Reuben! You were learning to craft—”

 

“But not how to deal with people! Not how to talk to people! Not even how to lead!” Jesse gasped, trying to wet her mouth. “You’re always talking about how I’m going to have to take over for you one day. How can I do that when I’m trapped all alone here my whole life!”

 

“I’ve been doing what’s best for you, Jesse!”

 

“You don’t want what’s best for me!” She could swore she saw Isa flinch, but she ignored it. “You just want to hide me away in the palace as if I was made of glass and would shatter if anyone so much as breathed on me!”

 

For a moment, Jesse thought her mother was actually considering her words, since Isa spent the next few minutes not responding.

 

“But out there, I got to learn about people! Their likes and dislikes, their fears and hopes, and how they live their normal lives! The things that Lukas and his friends and family have shown me these past months—”

 

“You keep mentioning this Lukas boy and praising him so much.” Isa’s mouth curled into a scowl. “If I didn’t know any better, I would think the next thing out of your mouth was that you’re in love with him.”

 

_Oh, that’s the last thing you want to hear, isn’t it?_ Jesse thought, crossing her arms.

 

Isa gasped. Jesse’s expression must have given her away. “You’re not serious, are you?”

 

“And if I am?” Jesse challenged her. “I love Lukas. I have for a while. I’ll shout it at the top of my lungs from the top of the palace if that would convince you!”

 

The Founder covered her eyes with her hands. She took a deep breath and then pulled her fingers down her face. She looked down from the ceiling, giving her child the sternest expression Jesse had ever seen.

 

“They really have gotten to you, haven’t they?”

 

_You’re talking as if “they” are not human._ “This isn’t the first time I’ve questioned you about the no building laws.”

 

Isa shook her head slowly. Several moments of silence passed between the two women before she spoke again.

 

“It appears I will have to go through strong measures to rehabilitate you, Jesse.”

 

“Rehabilitate? Isn’t that word a bit extreme?”

 

Isa ignored her, walking back to the window. “But first, to take care of this.”

 

Jesse watched in horror as her mother piled blocks of obsidian in front of the window, quite effectively blocking her one exit out of the palace. Jesse gasped and tried to pull on Isa’s arms to stop her, but soon enough the sunlight was completely gone, covered by black stone. She placed a hand on the obsidian, her mouth hanging open.

 

“After all this has settled, we are going to have sessions every day where we will go over why building is dangerous for civilians and why it depends on us to provide for them,” Isa declared coldly. “I should’ve done this sooner. I didn’t think this was necessary, but clearly you need instruction on why things need to be the way they are. I will teach you to be the leader you must be.”

 

Jesse remained facing the obsidian, seeming to sway back and forth and needing to put her hands to the newly-built wall to steady herself. Isa sighed.

 

“You’ll appreciate this one day.”

 

“I will not.”

 

Isa barely heard her daughter’s whisper as she exited the room. She turned to Aiden, who was still waiting outside.

 

“Guard the door at all times. If you need a break, call for a substitute,” she instructed him. “But do not let her outside for a moment.”

 

“Yes, ma’am!” Jesse could envision the smug smile he must have on his lips.

 

The door was closed and Jesse heard the lock click. She turned around, pressing her back against the obsidian, and slid down the wall to the floor. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself.

 

_Lukas…Petra…Milo…What have I done?_

 

She felt something soft and wet press against her arm. Jesse looked up to see Reuben sitting down next to her, shoving his snout into her elbow. She had completely forgotten he was in the room.

 

“Reuben, what am I supposed to do?” She ran her hands through her hair and tugged sharply at the roots. “I just…I was so happy to be out there and seeing Lukas and everyone, but now…”

 

The little pig snuggled into her, easily noticing how her voice broke when she talked. He pushed her arms apart so he could climb into her lap.

 

“Now I wish I had never gone to the Spring Festival in the first place.”

 

Reuben’s ears pressed down and back against his head, his own heart breaking at the sound of his human’s cries. He continued to snuggle into Jesse’s arms and neck as he let her sob into his back.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say how much I appreciate everyone who had read and enjoyed this story. Whether you review frequently, seldom or not at all, whether you leave kudos (in the case of AO3) or not, whether you read at every update or if you just read this for the first time, all of you are awesome! Your feedback and support in any form really makes my day! Thank you all so much! I hope I can continue to write to your enjoyment!
> 
> In other news, you know those chapters that have a really short section of your outline where you know what happens but you can’t seem to figure out the details because it’s almost entirely just a talking scene? Yeah, that’s this chapter.
> 
> I’m still looking for input regarding my next project. Please see the notes in chapter 11 for details.

Petra tried her hardest to keep herself from counting the number of lines in the stone and iron that made up her cell. She absolutely refused to do anything that boring to pass the time. Who knew how long she was going to be down here?

 

She sighed, blowing a raspberry as she glanced around her new home. It was two blocks by three blocks in size, large enough for her to lay down on the shabby mat that was her bed. A small hole in the corner was apparently supposed to be the toilet. The fourth wall wasn’t made of stone. Rather, it was blocked off by iron bars, allowing her to see into the wide hallway with a single door on the side. They had been led to the dungeons through that door before being split off into separate cells.

 

Petra tried to look down the hall at the other cells. Of course, she wasn’t able to stick her head through the bars enough to see. The space between the metal rods could fit her arm, but not her head or legs, let alone the rest of her body. The cold stone leeched through her clothing, making her shiver. The guards had taken her uniform away, leaving her only in civilian clothes.

 

As if losing her position in the Guard was a big concern at the moment.

 

“Did you really live in one of these for ten years, Milo?” she called to the older man down the hall. She heard the rustling of movement. “I can’t imagine.”

 

“Well, it is a prison,” he replied, his voice echoing down the hall. “It’s not supposed to be comfortable, is it?”

 

“I guess not.” Petra waited, hoping for a response from her second companion. Nothing came. She sat down at the corner to the right, straight up against the bars. “Lukas? Are you all right?”

 

There was a long moment of silence, and Petra was pretty sure he was ignoring her. She didn’t blame him. It was perfectly understandable if he was. But then, a quiet whisper echoed through the room.

 

“How long have you known?”

 

Petra pressed her forehead against the bars. She didn’t need to ask what he was talking about.

 

“Since I finished my Guard training,” she answered. “The Founder introduced her to all of us when we became official.”

 

“And you didn’t think to tell me?” Lukas asked, his voice raising a little. “I thought I was your best friend. We tell each other everything.”

 

“We are! I was planning on telling you, but Jesse made me promise not to.” Petra banged her head against the bars a bit. “You should’ve seen her face when I told her she should tell you the truth. She was terrified you would, well…”

 

“That I would what? Get angry? Wonder why my girlfriend and best friend would keep secrets from me?” Petra heard Lukas sigh, and she wish she could see his face. “Well, guess what? I am angry!”

 

“Lukas, Jesse didn’t want to hurt you—”

 

“You know, it makes sense, doesn’t it? Jesse said her mother was controlling, just like The Founder. She doesn’t know normal things but she’s an expert crafter. She’s even mentioned having a tutor!” His steps echoed off the stone walls of the prison, and Petra could just imagine him pacing. “A tutor for what? Who else would even _need_ a tutor but The Founder’s daughter! Heck, Jesse even _looks_ like her!”

 

“Lukas…” This time is was Milo trying to pacify his son, but Lukas went on regardless.

 

“How could I be so stupid to not figure it out! I mean, I knew _something_ was up, but I thought that if it was that important, Jesse would tell me!” There was a bang, causing Petra to jump. That sounded like Lukas had either kicked or punched the wall. She hoped it was the former, for the sake of his hands. “I never imagined it would be something like this!”

 

“Lukas, listen to me.” Milo’s voice was firm. “I didn’t know about this either, but to be honest I can’t blame Jesse for doing what she did. She was trying to get out from under The Founder’s iron fist, just like we have been. And I truly believe that she wasn’t spying for her mother.”

 

“Yeah, The Founder was just as shocked to see her captured as you were,” Petra added.

 

“I don’t think she was spying,” Lukas agreed, his voice still growling a little. “But hiding the truth is just as bad, isn’t it? Lying by omission?”

 

“Do you really believe that, Lukas?” Milo said, his tone gentle. Petra could picture the empathetic face he always had when he spoke to his son. “Jesse has done more for us and Build Club than I could ever imagine, and she did rush to try to warn us about the raid. Even before she knew about Build Club, she was always kind to us. Never once has she been judgmental about anything we’ve done or been through.”

 

“Jesse’s one of the good ones,” Petra insisted. “The moment I found out, she took me aside and explained everything. You should’ve seen her. That was hard enough for her as it was.”

 

“She’s done nothing but help us so far.” The resolution in Milo’s tone was strong enough to knock down obsidian. “I am more than willing to completely believe in Jesse’s word.”

 

There was another pause as Lukas’ footsteps slowed to a halt. He must have stopped pacing.

 

“Look, I’m not angry with Jesse…Okay, I’m a bit angry with her, but I’m angrier with myself,” he admitted. Petra heard him slide down the wall connecting his cell to Petra’s. “She didn’t think she could trust me enough to tell me. I didn’t know she distrusted me that much.”

 

“It’s less about distrust and more about worry,” Petra said. “Worry about hurting you."

 

“It’s normal to feel angry in a situation like this, son.” And there was Milo again, strong and serious when he needed to be, but always gentle when called for. It’s part of what made him such a good father. “Don’t be ashamed of your feelings.”

 

“But because of that, because of that lack of trust, we’re stuck in prison!” Lukas declared. “And who knows what The Founder’s going to do to Jesse.”

 

“Lukas, you know very well that we’re here because Aiden’s a rotten, jealous creep.” Petra couldn’t keep the snarl out of her words. “Jesse would never turn us in, but he did. This is all because of Aiden!”

 

“And now I feel stupid again!” There was a bang, and Petra guessed that he must have knocked his head against the wall. “He’s my…he _was_ my friend. I should’ve done something more when he assaulted Jesse!”

 

“You and me both, buddy.” Petra stuck her hand through the bars, reaching as far as she could towards her friend’s cell. “Lukas?”

 

She heard some shuffling, and a moment later a calloused hand gripped her. She squeezed Lukas’ hand tight.

 

“We’re going to get out of this. We always do,” she said. “Not sure how yet, but a stupid little cell can’t hold us.”

 

Lukas chuckled, and Petra smiled at the sound of his laugh. “You know, I told Jesse something very similar when we were being arrested.”

 

Petra raised her voice. “You hear that, Milo? We’re going to get out of here! Somehow!”

 

“Good! I have no intention to stay in here for another ten years!”

 

The door leading to the exit banged open and Reginald marched into the prison. Petra and Lukas released their hands, returning their whole bodies to their cells. Reginald walked up to the middle cell and looked down at Lukas. Petra couldn’t see Lukas, but she was more worried about the serious and concerned expression on the Captain’s face.

 

“Stand up, young man,” he ordered, his voice calm but firm. He opened the door with a creak. “The Founder wants a word.”

 

“Captain,” Petra called out, putting her hands around the bars to look out.

 

“I will be speaking with you later, Petra.” Reginald didn’t look at her as he said this. Instead, he pulled out a set of handcuffs and held them out. “Hands out.”

 

Lukas must have obeyed as she did see Reginald clasp the cuffs and heard the clink of metal as they locked. He pulled Lukas from the cell and started to direct him towards the door.

 

“Now wait here!” Milo protested. “He didn’t do anything wrong! If The Founder wants to blame someone, Build Club was my idea, not his! She shouldn’t be punishing him for any of that!”

 

“The Founder will be questioning each of you. You’ll have your turn, Milo.” Reginald gave the older blond a scowl before turning his attention back to Lukas. “Move along now.”

 

Petra could only watch as her best friend was taken away. She leaned back against the wall and cursed.

 

Lukas wasn’t really able to keep up with the twists and turns it took for Reginald to guide him from the dungeons to the throne room. The palace was even larger on the inside than it appeared from the outside. They passed a few windows, allowing Lukas to glance out at the marvelous view of Sky City.

 

 _Makes that view from the tower I showed Jesse at the faire look pathetic,_ he thought. He looked back at the halls, which were bare other than the lines of the iron blocks. _How do Jesse or Petra find their way around here?_ _It all looks the same!_

 

With enough walking, Reginald brought Lukas back to the throne room. There were fewer guards than last time, and the throne itself sat empty. Beyond it, on a small patch of land with a large tree and a single crafting table, stood The Founder. She was looking out at the bright clouds of the afternoon. The wind made her black hair fly across her shoulders.

 

She must have heard their footsteps. She turned to address them as they approached from around the throne. The Founder looked Lukas up and down.

 

“Here he is, Founder, ma’am,” Reginald said officially, saluting.

 

“Thank you, Reginald.” She folded her hands on her stomach. “Please stand by. We won’t be long.”

 

“Do you want me to remove the handcuffs?”

 

“Leave them for now.”

 

Reginald saluted again and walked away, standing at the corner of the wall where the large opening leading to the throne room. The Founder took a few steps towards him, her eyes narrow and suspicious.

 

“You must be Lukas.” He felt his eyes widen. How did she know his name? “Jesse told me. She…speaks very highly of you.”

 

For a moment, the fact that Jesse said good things about him to her mother elated him. Of course he would want the approval of Jesse’s family. He had thought about it when they started dating, but didn’t want to push Jesse into introducing them until she was ready.

 

That’s when it hit him. This _was_ the introduction. This was Jesse’s mother he was talking too. She had never spoken ill of her, but from what Jesse has said, she was more than a bit controlling. Lukas would’ve agreed with her if he had known Jesse was talking about The Founder herself.

 

Still, at the moment, The Founder did have control over their fates. As such, Lukas knew better than to mention her governing tendencies.

 

“Yes, ma’am.”

 

There was another long moment of silence. Lukas couldn’t tell if The Founder was still assessing him or trying to pick the right words to use. It might have been both.

 

“I have already heard from both Jesse and Aiden regarding the circumstance that brought us here,” she explained. Lukas forced himself not to react to his former friend’s name. “But I want to hear your version of events as well. I wish to ask you some questions.”

 

Lukas wiggled his toes in his boots, the only way he could fidget without her noticing. “I will answer what I can, ma’am.”

 

“Good,” she replied. “Now then, when did you first meet _my_ daughter?”

 

 _Possessive too, but I guess that makes sense with how protective Jesse said she is._ “At the Spring Festival earlier this year.”

 

The Founder’s eyebrows shot up. “That long ago?”

 

Lukas smiled. “Feels like a lot longer. Like I’ve know her forever.”

 

“And how did you meet?” she asked shortly. “I presume you walked up to her and spoke with her?”

 

“Quite the opposite really,” he answered, daring to smile at the memory. “She was dancing in front of the band that was playing. She dragged me into the crowd and pretty much demanded that I dance with her.”

 

To his surprise, this brought a smile to The Founder’s face. “Yes, Jesse can have a…forceful personality sometimes. What happened next?”

 

Lukas gave a full account of his first meeting with Jesse, detailing as much as his memory would allow. After that, he continued on to the following weeks that then turned into the months of time they spent together. Much to his surprise, The Founder didn’t say anything other than ask an occasional question.

 

She frowned deeply when he got to the part about Jesse joining Build Club, and Lukas considered stopping there. The look on the ruler’s face was stern, however, and he didn’t dare lie, either by saying something false or lying by omission. There had been enough deceit as it was.

 

Once he was finished, The Founder glanced out at the sky again. Her expression was contemplative. It was the same expression Lukas had seen on Jesse when she was recalling a more complicated crafting recipe. He wanted to say something more, but thought better of it. Who knew how The Founder would react if Lukas interrupted her thoughts?

 

Finally, she turned back to him. “You do realize I can only take your word for everything you’ve said here?”

 

“Yeah, I kind of figured that.” He glanced down at his boots, his toes still wiggling unnoticeably.

 

“Your story also does not match with much of what Aiden has told me.” The Founder shook her head. “He says you approached her first with the intent of turning her against me. You wanted to fill Jesse’s head with lies about building and crafting. Tell her that it’s not dangerous when she knows very well that it is—”

 

“Aiden was part of Build Club too! Anything he’s accused us of, he’s done too!” The Founder’s eyes half closed at his outburst. Lukas inwardly cursed. _That was a mistake._ “Ma’am, I—”

 

“Given your own history and the fact that your own father is the leader of this rebellion,” she said, her tone turned sour. “Are you really in any position to accuse Aiden of anything?”

 

“You don’t understand. Aiden is trouble.” Lukas shook his head fervidly. “He’s the one who wants to hurt Jesse. He’s done it before and he’ll do it again!”

 

The Founder’s voice was flat. “Has he?”

 

“He assaulted her while she was in town,” he explained. “Forced himself on her. If it wasn’t for Petra, who knows what he might’ve done!”

 

It looked like The Founder was considering this, but the long pause also made him worried. Her expression didn’t change at all as he waited for a reply.

 

 _She doesn’t believe me,_ he thought. _Has Jesse told her?_ _Maybe she’d believe if she heard it from Jesse?_ _Corroborating stories?_

 

“Regardless of Aiden’s decisions and behaviors,” she said. Lukas wanted to scoff. “The fact of the matter is my daughter snuck out of the palace, the one place where she is safe. Whether you knew it or not, you encouraged her to continue to disobey me. I want to know why.”

 

Lukas stuttered. “Why?”

 

“Yes. Why?” The Founder repeated. “Other than wanting to convince her to break the law, what other reason would you have to be around my daughter?”

 

He couldn’t help it. Lukas let out a loud guffaw, holding his cuffed hands to his belly. The Founder narrowed her eyes but said nothing, waiting for a proper response.

 

“You have met your daughter, right?”

 

“What is that supposed to mean?”

 

“Who _wouldn’t_ want to spend time with her?” Lukas answered. “She’s an amazing person. Smart, funny, kind…”

 

Lukas was absolutely _not_ going to rant about how wonderful he thought Jesse was like he had on the night of the Fall Moon Faire. It had been embarrassing in front of Jesse. There was no way he wasn’t going to do that sort of thing in front of her own mother.

 

_Those words are only for Jesse._

 

The Founder shook her head slowly. “It’s true, isn’t it? You’ve made Jesse think she’s fallen in love with you.”

 

Lukas straightened up. _Made Jesse think she’s in love with me?_ “Call me arrogant, but I don’t _think_ she’s in love with me. I _know_ she is. And I love her too.”

 

“You’re right, that is arrogant,” The Founder protested. “And not at all credible.”

 

“I would jump if I thought it would help her,” Lukas interrupted her, looking down at the Void below. “I would jump off the island for her without a second thought, if it meant she was happy and safe.”

 

She narrowed her eyes at him again, clicking her tongue in thought. Lukas stared at her with as serious of an expression as he could.

 

_I would do it in a heartbeat._

 

“Even if that were true, I can’t allow you to delude Jesse further.” The Founder gave a single, firm nod. “Jesse is my daughter. She is going to lead Sky City one day. She will be responsible for the safety of our citizens. I cannot let you lead her astray with nonsense about letting people build.”

 

“From what I’ve seen, Jesse’s thought about letting people build before she ever met me,” Lukas stated. “Besides, if she is going to be leader, what’s to stop her from ignoring that law entirely once she is?”

 

“She will do no such thing,” she debated back, throwing a finger at him. “Allowing people to build whatever they want, whenever they want would put a tremendous strain on our limited resources. It is why I only give out resources for worthwhile petitions.”

 

“I’ve never understood that.” Lukas shook his head. “You have the Eversource. Everyone knows it can create any crafting or building material you want. That’s how Sky City even exists. If you need materials, you can just use the Eversource to make them.”

 

“If only it were as simple as that.” The Founder turned away from him. “Do you think I want to risk my life every day to get those resources? Do you think I look forward to the day when Jesse will have to risk her life to do the same?”

 

“What? Risk your life?” Lukas echoed. He took a tentative step towards her. “Founder, ma’am, the Eversource, is it dangerous?”

 

“More than you realize.” She sighed and turned back to face him.

 

Lukas paused for a moment to take in this new information. Everyone in town claimed to know how the Eversource worked. Could it be they didn’t know as much of the truth as they thought?

 

“So let me get this straight. It’s not really that crafting is dangerous. It’s using the Eversource to get those resources that’s dangerous?” he described, continuing when The Founder nodded. “You’re trying to protect the people from facing that danger, whatever it is, by doing it yourself?”

 

“Without going into more detail than you need, yes. And Jesse will one day be responsible for that same duty.” She closed her eyes and lowered her head. “What I wouldn’t give for it to be different, to never worry about my daughter putting herself in danger this way.”

 

“But…with all due respect, Founder, you’re just one person. You can only gather so many materials by yourself.” He lifted his cuffed hands in an almost pleading posture. “You don’t have to do it alone. Obviously Jesse would be happy to help you, and if you gave the rest of us a chance, we could help too! There are so many of us in town that would be more than happy to help you against whatever this danger is.”

 

The Founder chuckled a little, a small breath of air releasing from her lips.

 

“I could never ask my people to put their lives at risk like that. I can barely stomach the idea of Jesse doing it.” Now The Founder stiffened her back, her voice becoming grim again. “I’m trying to protect both my daughter and my people from coming to any harm, whether it’s from the Eversource or from rebels like you and your father. That is my burden to bear, and one day it will have to be Jesse’s.”

 

If she was hoping to get a rise out of Lukas so he would react in a way that would justify imprisoning him, she was disappointed. Instead, he gave her a concerned expression. His blue eyes filled with apprehension not for himself, but for her. Isa kept herself from recoiling at the stare. No one had ever looked at her like that before.

 

“You know, the first time I cooked a potato on the furnace, I burned myself—”

 

“See? Dangerous.”

 

“The _supervised_ furnace, with the guard watching the whole time…” Lukas sighed at the disruption. “Please, ma’am. Just hear me out, okay?”

 

The Founder hesitated but nodded. Lukas figured that was the closest thing to an apology he was going to get.

 

“The first time I cooked a potato on the _supervised_ furnace, I burned myself,” he resumed. “My mother had warned me ahead of time that the furnace was hot and that I needed to be careful when I was cooking food on it. I ended up burned anyway.”

 

“Your mother let that happen?” She had plenty of shock in her voice now.

 

“Oh no. Mom was less than happy about it, to say the least,” he clarified. He smiled at the memory. Everything was funny in retrospect. “Thing was, she warned me I could get burned and it happened anyway. She tried to prepare me for the danger, but short of never letting me cook, I’d always be at risk. It probably wasn’t until the third or fourth time that I figured out how to cook a potato without burning either it or myself.”

 

“I fail to see the point of this anecdote.”

 

Lukas shook his head. “I guess, sometimes you can warn a child about danger as much as you want, but chances are they’ll end up getting hurt anyway. You can’t really stop that from happening. You can only give advice to the best of your knowledge and experience and leave the rest to them.”

 

“You sound much older than your years,” she admitted.

 

“Think about Jesse. Is keeping her cooped up in this palace teaching her how to be a good leader?” he asked. “You can’t always be there to keep her safe. If she’s going to lead Sky City like you’re constantly saying, she’s going to be in danger at some point. You can’t control that.”

 

There was a pause again, but Lukas didn’t take his gaze from the older woman.

 

“No one even knows she exists! Is keeping her safe and away from everyone and everything really worth her happiness?”

 

The silence continued for a bit, the two of them staring at each other. Eventually, the quiet broke.

 

“Are you trying to give me parenting advice now, young man?” The Founder joked, giving him the tiniest of smiles.

 

“Just some advice, I guess.” He gave a shrug in response.

 

The Founder clasped her hands together again and nodded. “I will take your words, _all_ of your words into consideration. Thank you for your time. Reginald?”

 

“Yes, ma’am!” The Captain of the Guard strode over, grabbed Lukas by the upper arm again with one hand and saluted with the other. “Who would you like to speak to next?”

 

“Bring me Petra please.”

 

Lukas licked his lips, not sure what else he could say in his defense. He watched The Founder over his shoulder as he allowed Reginald to pull him away. He let out a loud sigh as they walked. Reginald gave his a curious look, but remained silent.

 

_I guess I’m playing the waiting game now._


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, I guess it’s time for a temper tantrum?
> 
> I’m still looking for input regarding my next project. Please see the notes in chapter 11 for details.

Reuben found himself truly distraught for the first time in his life. His human, Jesse, had cried for a good hour before her sobbing and hiccoughing finally slowed to a stop. Tears still occasionally slid down her face. Reuben had tried his best to comfort her, but beyond some cuddling there wasn’t anything he could do.

 

He sat in front of Jesse with shining eyes and tilted eyebrows. Jesse had her arms crossed around her knees, seeming to stare into nothing. Reuben oinked sadly. There had to be something he could do!

 

Reuben no longer had the time to think about it because of the firm knock on the door. He jumped at the sound and spun to look at the door. Based on the height and force of the knock, he could tell it was most likely Reginald on the other side. Sure enough, his prediction was proven correct.

 

“Young Miss? It’s time for dinner.”

 

The little pig looked over his shoulder at his human. Jesse didn’t move, either not hearing Reginald’s voice or pretending not to. The Captain knocked a second time. This time, when he again received no answer, the lock clicked open and the door creaked to allow him inside.

 

Reginald looked down at the forlorn woman, his eyebrows creased with worry. He gave a small smile to Reuben, but the pig could see it didn’t reach his eyes.

 

He slowly walked over and kneeled down to Jesse, craning his neck to try to look at her face. Jesse kept staring forward, no acknowledging him at all.

 

“Young Miss, I know you’re upset. But hiding away in here because you’re upset with your mother isn’t going to help matters,” he said. “It may only make her more angry.”

 

Jesse was hearing him, since she narrowed her eyes at his words. Reginald looked down at Reuben for a second, and then turned his attention back to her.

 

“If nothing else, you need to eat to keep your strength up.” He put a hand on her knee and gently squeezed. “Please, Jesse?”

 

It must have been the use of her name that broke her unmoving form. Jesse’s eyes shifted to Reginald for a moment before she nodded. Very slowly, she rose to her feet, giving Reuben a small pet before she followed Reginald through the door. Reuben was at her heels, glancing up at the lady guard with brown and a smirk on her face. Reuben scowled as they all walked away from the bedroom.

 

Jesse’s stride was much shorter and slower than usual, evidence of her melancholy mood. It was no trouble for Reuben to keep pace with her and look at her face at the same time. Reginald walked a step behind them, silent as a stone.

 

Just before entering the dining room, Reginald touched Jesse’s shoulder again, bringing her to a stop. He turned her around so he could look at her face, which was dark and smudged with tear-stained makeup.

 

“Your face is a mess.” Reginald reached into his pocket for a handkerchief. “Let me clean you up, Jesse.”

 

The young woman was still as he gently wiped the tears and mascara away, showing her pale skin underneath. Reuben leaned against his human’s leg in his best attempt to comfort her.

 

“I like it when you call me Jesse,” she whispered while Reginald was carefully wiping her eyes. “None of that Young Miss stuff. It’s stupid.”

 

Reginald couldn’t help but crack a small smile. “I’ll keep that in mind, Jesse.”

 

The Captain continued his movements until Jesse’s face was clean. He nodded to her and then turned to continue his way to the dining room. Jesse looked down at Reuben before entering.

 

Sure enough, Isa was waiting at the head of the table. Her bowl was already full with beetroot soup and a plate of bread to the side. She watched her daughter carefully as she reached the table. Her back was straight and her hands were folded on the table. Her food sat untouched, waiting for Jesse to join her before beginning.

 

Jesse stumbled a little when she saw Aiden was standing next to her chair. He was wearing some strange armor that wasn’t the normal uniform she had seen the Guard wearing. His hair was slicked back, making it shine from the light from the torches on the walls. The worst thing was the smug smile on his face. It only made Jesse feel sicker when he pulled the chair out to allow her to sit.

 

Reginald went to stand next to Isa, raising an eyebrow at the other man who held Jesse’s chair.

 

“Please sit, Jesse,” her mother commanded.

 

Jesse knew better than to argue with Isa now. She walked over to sit in the chair, doing her best to ignore Aiden’s lingering gaze. Once she was in the chair, he pushed it forward so she was perfectly in place to eat. He continued to stay by her side, despite the glare Jesse she was giving him out of the corner of her eye.

 

Reuben looked up at this haughty human and frowned. He gave out a lot of bad energy, and Reuben didn’t like it one bit. How dare this human stand so close to Jesse? Couldn’t he tell she did not appreciate his presence one bit? Why was he staying where he was not wanted?

 

Jesse heard his disgruntled oinks, and reached down to scratch him behind his ear.

 

“It’s okay, Reuben,” she said quietly. “Let’s just eat.”

 

The little pig gave the unwelcome human another glare as he climbed into his own chair to reach the bowl of carrots that had been set out for him for his dinner. Reuben continued to watch Aiden out of the corner of his eyes, giving a displeased snort before munching on the orange vegetables.

 

The beginning of dinner was an awkward affair. Neither mother nor daughter said anything to each other. The two men standing guard merely watched. Reginald’s eyes kept darting to Aiden, as if daring him to do something to Jesse in front of The Founder.

 

He had heard the testimonies of all the prisoners, and he was pretty sure he didn’t trust Aiden to keep his hands to himself. Isa claimed it must be a story they concocted to discredit Aiden. However, Reginald wanted nothing more than to keep the young man away from Jesse.

 

Jesse played around with her meal. It was only because of the encouraging looks from Reginald that she continued to eat. She speared a beet and bringing it to her mouth. She didn’t like that Isa was so quiet. It meant that she was contemplating something. Of course, Jesse was pretty sure she knew what.

 

“Mother?”

 

“Yes, Jesse?” Isa didn’t take her eyes off her food or relax her spine.

 

 _Oh yeah._ _Still very mad._ Jesse swallowed. “Have you made a decision about the prisoners yet?”

 

Finally, her mother looked at her out of the corner her eye. The language Jesse had used hadn’t escaped her. “The prisoners.” Not using their names was putting some distance between them and Jesse. Isa surely would appreciate that.

 

But if she did, she didn’t let it show. “I am still considering what their punishment should be.”

 

Jesse paused to take a breath. “Maybe you could give them a light sentence? First offense or something?”

 

“Milo is a repeat offender. First for wasting resources and now for illegal building,” Isa proclaimed. “As for the other two, they have clearly been in this trade for many years.”

 

“But you don’t have to imprison them,” the younger woman begged. “That doesn’t teach them that what they did was wrong.”

 

“Really? Perhaps I should consider banishment then?” The Founder frowned at her daughter. “Would that suitably demonstrate their wrongdoings?”

 

Jesse flinched. “Mother, please—”

 

“No, Jesse. I am Founder and my word is law.” Isa slammed her spoon on the table, the metal clanking against the wood. “And I will punish them as I see fit.”

 

Jesse met her mother’s glare with her own, and she pushed her bowl away from her.

 

“What do I need to do to convince you to—”

 

“There is no convincing me of anything, Jesse,” she interrupted her again. “I have heard from all the parties involved. You will accept my decision, whatever it ends up being.”

 

“If you want me to have these lessons with you about leading, I’ll do that,” Jesse offered, her voice rising. “I won’t leave the palace again—”

 

“No, you won’t.” Jesse gritted her teeth. She was getting annoyed by these constant disruptions. “Which reminds me, there are going to be some changes around here.”

 

“Changes? Like what?”

 

“First, you will be attending lessons with me every night after dinner.”

 

“Mother—”

 

“Second, you will be escorted to and from lessons and meals at all times.”

 

“I don’t need an escort—”

 

“Third, you will have regular hourly checks, even at night, to make sure you are in your room,” Isa continued, ignoring her daughter’s protests . “Although I’m sure you won’t be leaving your room through any means other than the door now.”

 

Jesse almost hissed at the mention of her now blocked window. “Isn’t that all a little extreme?”

 

“Considering your previous behavior, I think not.” Isa gave a decisive nod and then glanced at Aiden. “Lastly, I’ve decided that Aiden will be your regular escort.”

 

“What?!” Jesse slammed her hands against the table with a loud bang.

 

“I have made him an honorary member of the Guard,” she explained. “Just as Reginald is my Guard, Aiden will be yours.”

 

“You can’t be serious!” Jesse looked up at Aiden, who gave her a salute with that exasperatingly haughty smile of his. “I don’t need an escort! Especially not him!”

 

“I’m afraid I must agree with Jesse on this, ma’am,” Reginald intervened. He gave Aiden a discerning look with narrow eyes. “Perhaps a guard with more experience and known reliability would be more appropriate.”

 

“He has already proven that he is trustworthy,” The Founder argued. “I decided this would be the perfect reward for turning in those criminals and helping in the investigation into the others.”

 

“You have got to be kidding me!” This time, Jesse did stand from her seat, making the chair screeched against the floor. She jutted her thumb at the man in question. “He was in Build Club too! How else could he know about—”

 

“That is why he is only an honorary member of the Guard rather than an official member,” Isa insisted. “He is on the right path to atone for his crimes—”

 

“And the others aren’t?!” _Forget it!_ _If she’s going to interrupt me, I’m going to interrupt her!_ “Why can’t you show them the same mercy?”

 

“Because they kept it hidden. Aiden did not.”

 

“You wouldn’t think he was so trustworthy if you knew that he kissed me against my will!” Jesse looked over her shoulder at Aiden to glower at him. Aiden’s eyebrows rose in surprise. He must have not expected her to say that. “He’s just trying to get close to me to do it again!”

 

“Ah, yes. Your little friends in the dungeon have told me all about that accusation.” Isa shook her head. “A claim I am sure you came up with to discredit Aiden and his work to uphold our laws.”

 

“You don’t believe me?” Jesse clenched her fists on the table. “You believe a complete stranger over your own daughter?”

 

“You lost any trust I had in you when you disobeyed my order to remain in the palace!” Isa leapt up from her own seat to stare down Jesse. “Something I was trying to do for your own safety, may I remind you!”

 

“This doesn’t have anything to do with my safety, or you would take me word about Aiden!” Jesse screamed. “You’re just angry I decided to take my life into my own hands! I did something that didn’t fit into your perfect little plan for me! I’ve stopped being your little puppet!”

 

“Jesse—” There was clearly a warning in Isa’s tone.

 

“And now you’re trying to get back at me by hurting my friends! The only friends I’ve ever had!” There was a sullen oink. “Except for Reuben!”

 

“That is not—”

 

“And you think you can justify it by imprisoning so-called criminals! For something they should have always been allowed to do anyway!”

 

“Enough—”

 

“One who had already been in jail for a simple accident!”

 

“Jesse—”

 

“And you just expect me to go along with it just because I’m your daughter!” Jesse didn’t even take a breath. “I wish I was never your daughter! I hate you!”

 

Jesse spun around, knocking the chair to the side. She sped away from the dining room too quickly to see the hurt on Isa’s face. Reuben was right behind her, squealing the whole way. Aiden watched her go with his eyes wide and his eyebrows in the center of his forehead. He glanced at Isa, who was slowly sitting down in her chair again. Reginald was holding out a hand towards the direction Jesse had run.

 

Aiden saluted. “I’ll be sure she gets to her room, ma’am.”

 

Reginald stepped up as if he was going to follow instead, but he was stopped by Isa’s tiny voice.

 

“A word please, Reginald.”

 

Aiden didn’t stick around for the conversation. Instead, he took off after Jesse down the hallway leading to her bedroom. Her run had slowed to a brisk walk once she was a fair distance from the dining room. Reuben was jogging next to her, watching her with worried eyes. Aiden rushed to catch up with them and called out.

 

“Jesse! Wait up!”

 

“Go away, Aiden!” she demanded, her voice raw from her rant. “You’re the last person I want to talk to!”

 

Aiden scowled and ran so he was in front of her, placing himself in her path.

 

“Come on, don’t be like that,” he said, holding his arms spread out. “I just want to talk.”

 

“Well, I don’t!” Jesse tried to walk past him, but Aiden simply scooted over to stand in her way again. “Why would I want to talk to you? This is all because of you!”

 

“Oh, don’t go throwing blame around, Jesse,” Aiden sneered. “I didn’t do this to hurt you.”

 

“Could’ve fool me.” Jesse’s nostril flared. “I just don’t get it. Why would you betray us? We were friends, at least before you kissed me. You and Lukas have been friends for a long time according to him.”

 

“Lukas and I _were_ friends,” Aiden answered. He grabbed Jesse by the forearm. “Until he took you from me!”

 

“I’m not a _thing_ to be taken!” She yanked herself out of his grip. “I’m a person, Aiden! You don’t own me! Neither does my mother!”

 

“Then neither does Lukas!”

 

“He’s never acted like it!”

 

“Look, I didn’t know The Founder was going to find out about you being in Build Club! Or that you were going to be arrested!” Aiden yelled. He glanced around to make sure no one had heard his outburst. He lowered his voice. “I thought I was telling her on a day you wouldn’t be there.”

 

“As if that makes it any better.” Reuben oinked in agreement at her side. Aiden snarled at the little pig, who cringed away at the sight. This human was scary.

 

“I needed an in with The Founder,” Aiden explained. “Telling her about Build Club was the fastest and easiest way to do it.”

 

“Yeah, at the cost of your friends.” Jesse crossed her arms over her chest. “Obviously friendship doesn’t mean much to you.”

 

“I’m doing all this for _you_ , Jesse.” Aiden clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms. “And for Sky City. Why can’t you understand that?”

 

“For Sky City?” She ignored the bit about herself. “How is doing all this helping Sky City?”

 

“Come on, you know why Build Club existed in the first place,” he described. “Because The Founder keeps all the resources to herself. You’ve said so yourself that you don’t agree with it.”

 

“And I don’t, but what does that have to do with betraying your friends?”

 

“Forget about that for a minute, Jesse.”

 

“Oh, like I could.”

 

Aiden ignored her. “The Eversource! The thing that provides all the resources for the city! It’s what lets The Founder have all the power.”

 

Jesse rolled her eyes. “Everyone knows that, Aiden. What’s your point?”

 

“What if that wasn’t the case anymore?” Aiden asked. Jesse stopped glaring for a moment. Aiden looked pleased that she was finally listening. “If we had the Eversource, so we could get any resources we wanted whenever we wanted. We wouldn’t have to listen to The Founder anymore. We could have that power.”

 

Jesse uncrossed her arms and put her hands on her hips. “So all this about getting the Eversource?”

 

“And getting you, yes.” Aiden almost looked like he was bouncing. “In fact, you must know all about the Eversource. You’ve probably even used it yourself! Where is it?”

 

She startled a little, and Reuben rose his eyebrows at her. It was because of the Eversource that he had even been born, so of course he knew about it. Was Jesse actually going to tell him how to find it? That didn’t seem like something his human would do.

 

“Think about it. With the Eversource, we could do whatever we want! Make whatever we want!”

 

“That is the dream of pretty much any builder,” Jesse admitted, but she shook her head. “You’re not talking about letting anyone else use the Eversource, are you?”

 

“Well, somebody’s got to be in charge of deciding who deserves resources and who doesn’t,” Aiden proclaimed, his smirk back. He leaned forward and took Jesse’s hand. “And I think the two of us would be much better at that than your mom.”

 

She pulled her hand away and tried to walk around him again. “I’m not interested in any of that.”

 

“Come on, Jesse,” Aiden implored. He still blocked her way, putting his hands on her shoulders. Both Jesse and Reuben snarled at the contact. “You wouldn’t have to listen to your mom any more if she didn’t have the authority to do it. You could go where you want whenever you want. I wouldn’t keep you from exploring the city and getting to know people. We could work together to make Sky City into something really great. Together, we could do anything!”

 

“I don’t want to do anything together with you.” Jesse removed his hands from her body and glared at him again. “And if you think I’m going to help you steal the Eversource, you really aren’t right in the head.”

 

A brief flash of fury crossed over Aiden’s face. It couldn’t have lasted more than a second, but both Jesse and Reuben saw it. The expression was soon replaced by one of self-righteousness.

 

“I guess I’ll have to get the Eversource myself then.” He jutted his chin forward and puffed up his chest. “Last chance to change your mind.”

 

“Forget it, Aiden!”

 

He chuckled. “When things start to go my way, we’ll see how you feel then.”

 

Aiden stood aside, finally allowing Jesse access to the rest of the hallway. She gave his a cocked eyebrow before taking off to her bedroom. Reuben glanced at him one last time, jumped at the sneer he received, and rushed to catch up with Jesse. She kept her door open until Reuben was inside and then slammed the door shut. She completely ignored Maya, who was guarding the door.

 

Once safe in her room, Jesse pressed her back against the door and slid down it to the floor. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Reginald had taught her deep breathing exercises. He claimed that a clear head was paramount to fight effectively. A clear head was something she needed now more than ever before. The arguments she had with Isa and Aiden did nothing for her adrenaline.

 

Jesse made sure she was calm before she looked up, the new wall of obsidian filling her vision. Inwardly, she cursed.

 

“Now I’ve got two big problems,” she whispered to herself. “Lukas, Petra and Milo are in trouble, and now Aiden’s going to be after Benedict too. I’ve got to do something…or maybe a few somethings.”

 

She stood and walked over to the wall where her window once was. She tapped the obsidian with her knuckled and shook her head. There was no way she was getting through that. She glanced a little to the side, where iron blocks made up the walls of her room. A light bulb went off in her head and she grinned.

 

“I can’t get through obsidian, but Mother didn’t think about iron.”

 

Jesse headed for her bed, shuffling underneath it to grab the box that was her secret stash. She only had a few opportunities to hide supplies in it, and recently she had only stored items in it a few times. She could only hope it contained the crafting materials she needed inside.

 

Opening the small chest, she smiled as she grabbed three blocks of cobblestone. That was half of what she needed. She dug through the box some more, pushing aside string, wool, and slimeballs in search of some sticks.

 

She found none. Jesse cursed again. “Dang it. I must have used all my sticks making those ladders.”

 

There was a little squeal, and Jesse looked up to see Reuben sitting on her bed. He placed a hoof on her standing stable (which was actually her crafting table in disguise), bringing the dead plant in a pot to her attention. He gave her a smile, which Jesse returned once she realized what he was telling her.

 

“A bush for sticks! Nice, Reuben! Thanks!” A couple of punches was all she needed to do to turn the dead plant into a couple of sticks. “This is exactly what I need.”

 

With the crafting table in front of her, it took Jesse no time at all to make a stone pickaxe. There was a buzz as the items fused together to make the pickaxe. Jesse grabbed it and turned her attention to the iron blocks next to the obsidian wall.

 

“Time to eat my dust, iron!”

 

She slammed the sharp end of the pickaxe into the iron blocks. It only took a few seconds for her to create a hole large enough for her to get through. She put the pickaxe in her inventory and stuck her head through the hole. The ladders were still there, and fortunately they looked like they were close enough that she could still reach them.

 

“Why go through the obsidian when you can go around it?” she joked to herself.

 

She stretched her arm so she could grab the top of the ladders and swung herself out so she was back on her escape route. She took a deep breath, trying to not think about the height she had just dangled over.

 

Jesse was about to start climbing down when there was a loud squeal. She looked at the hole, where Reuben was giving her the most pathetically sad look she had ever seen.

 

“You want to come with me?” An affirmative oink was her answer. She smiled sadly. “I won’t be coming back here, Reuben. I can’t live under Mother’s thumb anymore.”

 

Reuben’s eyebrows rose, but he still oinked his opinion.

 

“I don’t want to leave you behind either, but we’ll probably have to be in hiding for a long time. Do you think you can handle that?” Reuben snorted. As if that mattered as long as he was with his human friend. “Okay. Then hold on.”

 

Jesse reached out again, giving him as much space on her arm as she could. Reuben very carefully climbed into her grip, and she hugged him to her side to keep him safe. It was more difficult to climb down the ladder with a pig in her arms, but Jesse found she could manage fine.

 

Once she reached the bottom of the ladder, she put Reuben down on the dirt ground at their feet. Her gaze moved between her little pig and the edge of the island.

 

“Stay close to the wall, Reuben,” she instructed him. “I don’t want you to fall.”

 

Reuben nodded, and then followed his human as she scooted along the outer walls of the palace. Jesse did not head in the direction she normally took to get into Sky City. She went the opposite way, the long way instead so she would eventually reach the other end of the palace. She kept an eye on the windows they walked past to keep track of where there were outside the palace. She also wanted to make sure she ducked when a guard came by while on patrol.

 

“It’s harder to tell which room is which from the outside,” she whispered to Reuben. He oinked, his head tilting in curiosity. “I’m trying to find one of the halls that leads to the dungeon. I can get to Lukas, Petra and Milo from there.”

 

Reuben oinked in agreement. That was a good place to start at least.

 

Jesse knew it was impossible to predict everything that might happen during this attempted rescue. For instance, she did not expect to come face-to-face with a person with deep brown eyes. She let out a gasp, which was echoed by the other woman on the palace edge. The woman pulled out a bow and arrow, setting it right between Jesse’s eyes.

 

The two girls let out simultaneous shrieks of astonishment.

 

Jesse put up her hands in surrender, cursing herself for getting caught so early on in her rescue. Never had she thought that a guard would find her on the rim of the palace. She had never seen a guard bother to patrol the tiny patches of ground.

 

Then again, she couldn’t have predicted that it wouldn’t be a guard who would find her. It was Olivia, staring at her with surprised eyes. She lowered the bow with a loud breath.

 

“Jesse? What in the world are you doing out here?” she demanded, trying to keep her voice a whisper.

 

“I should be asking you that!” Jesse argued back. “What—”

 

“I heard something! Over here!”

 

Jesse’s eyes snapped to the window above their heads. She pressed her body against the wall right beneath it. Reuben and Olivia followed suit, realizing her strategy to stay out of sight of the guards.

 

Sure enough, a couple guards came stomping over. They looked around the area, including out the window. They apparently didn’t think to look below the window though, or else they would have seen the three intruders hiding. The two women and the pig held their breath.

 

“Must have been my imagination,” the guard said. The other grunted in agreement.

 

They waited until the sounds of footsteps had faded before turning to each other again. Jesse couldn’t help but chuckle, and Olivia gave her a nervous smile.

 

“Guess I’ve got some explaining to do,” Jesse said.

 

“Yeah, me too,” Olivia agreed. “I was going to try to rescues the others. I thought sneaking in through a window would be better than trying to get in through the front door.”

 

“By yourself?” Jesse’s mouth hung open a bit. “You didn’t try to get Philippe or someone else to help you?”

 

“Well, no.” Olivia shrugged a little helplessly. “I was thinking that the smaller the group the better? And what’s smaller than a group of one?”

 

Well, Jesse couldn’t really argue with that logic. “That’s a very brave thing to do, Olivia.”

 

“Thanks.” The darker girl smiled a little half-smile, only showing some of her teeth. A moment later, she spotted Reuben standing next to Jesse’s feet. “And who’s this handsome young man?”

 

Reuben skipped up to her to let the other human scratch him behind his ear. He smiled at being called handsome. This human must have good taste.

 

“This is Reuben. He’s my wingman.”

 

“Wing-pig?”

 

“Wing-pig. Sure.” Jesse snickered. “We were planning on rescuing the others too.”

 

“You and a pig?”

 

“Oh, like by yourself is a much better idea.”

 

“Well, in any case, looks like we’ve got the same goal.”

 

“Feel like working together?”

 

“I thought that much was obvious,” she said with a wider smile. Olivia glanced up at the window. “I wasn’t really sure which window I should try to sneak into.”

 

“There a window a little bit behind you that’s on the way to the dungeons.” Jesse pointed to a window a few blocks down from them. It was also a couple blocks up. “I was going to have Reuben give me a boost up.”

 

“That won’t be necessary.” Olivia reached into her inventory and pulled out a couple of ladders. “I wasn’t sure how high the window I wanted was going to be, so I made a few of these.”

 

“Perfect!”

 

Olivia began to place the ladders beneath the desired window. While she did that, Reuben glanced up at his human and snorted. Jesse looked at him, and he nudged his head in Olivia’s direction. Jesse sighed. It was obvious what he thought she should do.

 

“I know. You’re right.” Jesse stepped forward just as Olivia was about to climb the first ladder. “Hey, Olivia?”

 

She paused, releasing her grip on the ladder’s rungs. “Yeah?”

 

Jesse took a deep breath. “Before we do anything, I really need to tell you something. Something really important.”

 

“You’re The Founder’s daughter and you’ve been sneaking out of the palace to hang out with us little people and you didn’t tell us anything about it in case we thought you were a spy or were going to turn us in to your mother?”

 

Somehow Olivia managed to say all this in one, quick breath. Jesse stared.

 

“How do you know all that?”

 

“Well, you just confirmed it for me,” Olivia explained. “But I suspected it for a while. You never introduced us to your parents. You never talk about your home life except for very vague details. And you’re one of the few people in Sky City who knows how to craft everything without being in Build Club. Talk about suspicious.”

 

“I don’t know how to craft everything.” Jesse blushed and rubbed the back of her neck. “Why…didn’t you say something about it?”

 

“I thought you’d tell us sooner or later,” she said. “Well, you eventually did.”

 

Now her blush spread to her ears. “I’m sorry I never told you.”

 

“Jesse, you’re my friend. I understand.” Olivia put a hand on her shoulder. “Honestly? I think I would’ve done the same thing in your place.”

 

Jesse gave her a nervous smile, her eyes a little wet. “Thanks, Olivia.”

 

“No problem,” she said. She turned back to the ladder. “But whatever your family problems are, we still have some other friends to save.”

 

“Right!” Jesse pumped a fist and picked up Reuben so she could follow after her friend.

 

 _Still friends._ _That’s a relief,_ she thought. _I’ll make sure to never jeopardize that again._

 

Reuben oinked happily as he was carried up the ladder. It was a huge relief to him for the tension between his human and her friend to release. Now if only he could help with the rest of her problems.

 

Jesse placed Reuben through the window before she climbed back into the hall herself. This part of the palace was dark. There were some torches on the far end, but at the moment they were not lit. This infused the hall with shadows created from a few rooms that did have light, but they were few and far between.

 

 _Good for sneaking, not for security,_ Jesse thought. _Mother’s loss, our gain._

 

She glanced around to make sure the coast was clear. After receiving nods from both Olivia and Reuben, she knew they were ready for her to take the lead.

 

“The dungeons are this way,” she whispered to Olivia.

 

She tiptoed against the wall, trying to keep her steps as quiet as she possibly could. Olivia and Reuben were right behind her, also tiptoeing. Much to Jesse’s amusement, Reuben knew to keep his hooves angled. This was a way to minimize the surface area contact of his hooves with the floor. If anything, his hooves would be the things to make the most noise. But Reuben was the smartest pig around, and he knew how to be stealthy when he needed to be.

 

At least, Jesse thought they were all being stealthy, and in truth they were. Under normal circumstances, the three wouldn’t have been caught only a short ways down the hall from the entry into the dungeons. But there were clearly not normal circumstances.

 

For the second time that night, Jesse found herself on the opposite end of a weapon. This time it was a sword, with the tip barely touching her neck beneath her chin. She gasped and Olivia immediately pulled out her bow and arrows in response.

 

Jesse looked down the blade to see a pair of familiar chocolate brown eyes and red hair.

 

“Jesse?!”


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. This chapter bugs me. Still not completely happy with it, but moving on.
> 
> I’m still looking for input regarding my next project. Please see the notes in chapter 11 for details.

“Will you take me as I am?”

 

“Hey, Lukas?”

 

“Mercy, mercy, why didn’t we hear it?”

 

“Yeah, Petra?”

 

“Let your soul gravitate to the love y’all.”

 

“Will you whack your dad for me?”

 

“And the bloody changes…”

 

“He’s on the other side of his cell. I can’t reach.”

 

“And the streets are full of strangers.”

 

“Does he _have_ to keep singing?”

 

“Let your soul gravitate to the love y’all.”

 

“I couldn’t tell you.”

 

“And the bloody changes…”

 

Petra jumped up from her mat in the corner. “Stop it! Stop it! I can’t take it anymore!”

 

“Whoa!” Lukas stood as well and held onto the bars to look towards her cell. “Petra, calm down!”

 

“Milo, I swear if you don’t stop, I’m going to break through these blocks and punch you out!” Petra hollered.

 

“Sorry, Petra,” Milo said, stopping his chants. “There’s only so much one can do when in prison.”

 

“There’s only so much one can take of your singing,” she shouted. “No offense, but you’re not the best singer around.”

 

Lukas couldn’t help but smile. “She’s right, you know, Dad.”

 

Milo huffed as the entrance to the dungeon opened and Gill stepped through. He glanced at the prisoners and pulled out his sword.

 

“What’s all the racket about?” He ran his sword across the bars of the cells, the metal clangs echoing through the room. The jailbirds held their ears at the sound. “No talking. Prisoners aren’t supposed to talk.”

 

“That’s probably the longest single sentence I’ve ever heard you say,” Petra taunted. “Has The Founder given you crafting materials for brains?”

 

“Shut up, Petra,” Gill ordered, though the redhead didn’t seem inclined to obey. “You don’t scare me. Now the tables have turned, and you got to do what I say.”

 

“Yeah right.” Petra crossed her arms and allowed a smirk to grace her lips. “As if you have any authority around here.”

 

“When Aiden takes over, I’m going to have plenty of authority,” Gill announced. He put his sword away and crossed his arms.

 

“When Aiden takes over?” Lukas put his hands around the bars and stared at the guard. “What are you talking about?”

 

“Mum’s the word for now.” Gill chuckled. “You’ll see soon enough.”

 

“Gill!” Everyone’s attention turned to the doorway again, where Axel was just entering the dungeons. “Gabriel wants to see you. Says it’s your turn for your interview.”

 

Gill rolled his eyes and sighed. “Right. Whatever. See you losers later.”

 

He made his way out of the dungeons, knocking Axel in the shoulder as his left. Axel rubbed his arm where Gill had made contact, but otherwise ignored him. He shook his head once the door was close and then looked at Petra.

 

“How are you holding up?” he asked her, his voice rather quiet for him.

 

“Fine, I guess,” she replied with a shrug. Petra glanced away for a split second. “What’s going on out there?”

 

“You’ve kind of put everyone on edge about who can be trusted in the Guard. Captain Reginald suspects a coup.” Axel put his hands on his hips and looked down at her. “Petra, tell it to me straight. Did you join the Guard to try to get to the Eversource?”

 

Petra glanced over at Lukas, who just nodded his head. Everything was out in the open now. Might as well be truthful.

 

“I wasn’t trying to get the Eversource. I wanted to see if I could get my hands on some more materials for our club. Build Club. Sure you’ve heard about it by now.” At Axel’s nod, she continued. “Why? Where’d you hear I was after the Eversource?”

 

“That’s what Aiden’s saying,” Axel said. “But he’s a jerk, so I couldn’t be sure.”

 

“Sounds like Aiden,” Lukas added with a roll of his eyes.

 

“Yeah, trying to foist the blame on us.” Petra felt like punching the bars, and she might have if Axel hasn’t been in front of her. “The Founder actually is listening to him?

 

“Yeah. Seems he and The Founder have become all buddy-buddy,” he described. Axel scuffled his foot. “Makes him think he can order all of us around. Spouting commands left and right.”

 

“And The Founder’s not doing anything about it? That’s just great.” Lukas groaned. “What about Jesse? How’s she doing?”

 

Axel shook his head. “Don’t know. Haven’t seen her since you guys were brought in.”

 

“Hope she’s okay,” Lukas whispered.

 

“No kidding,” Petra agreed.

 

“What’s this about a coup?” Milo asked, speaking up for the first time in a while.

 

“The Founder’s all worried that others in the Guard are trying to overthrow her, and you're involved in it somehow,” he explained. “The captain’s questioning everyone about it.”

 

“That’s news to me,” Petra stated. “I never heard of another guard who wants to overthrow The Founder.”

 

“Is that what The Founder thinks Build Club was doing?” Milo inquired. “That we were sending people into the Guard to get the Eversource?”

 

“That’s the theory anyway,” Axel answered him, giving the older man a small smile. “You’re not, right?”

 

“It’s not a bad idea,” Milo conceded.

 

Lukas banged his head against the bars. “Not now, Dad.”

 

“Other than me, no one in Build Club is also in the Guard,” Petra replied honestly, looking Axel in the eye.

 

He seemed to contemplate this for a moment before speaking again. “So, getting into the Guard and all that, it was all a lie?”

 

The redhead sighed, looking down at his feet. “Yeah. I wasn’t in the Guard to protect Sky City. I wanted to get resources. That’s all.”

 

“It was a lie,” Axel summarized succinctly. He shifted from one foot to the other. “What about me? Was our friendship a lie too?”

 

“No way.” Petra’s gaze snapped up to his. “You’d actually think that?”

 

“Petra, you’re the first person who didn’t treat me like I was just some, well, loser. That I wasn’t some coward who was just around to be the butt of a joke.” Axel let out a long breath. “Why would you act like a friend to someone like me, if it wasn’t as a way to get something?”

 

Petra rested her forearms against the bars, leaning forward to look him straight in the eye.

 

“If you believe I ever thought that, Axel, then you really are a dummy.” She shrugged like it was no big deal. “Yeah, you screw things up sometimes, but we all do. You’re a funny guy. You’ve made Jesse and me laugh tons of times, and we were laughing _with_ you, not _at_ you.”

 

“And who’s calling you a coward?” Lukas chimed in. “I remember when we first met. I went to talk to Aiden, and the moment you thought something was going to happen, you jumped in and told him to back off. Doesn’t sound like a coward to me.”

 

Axel smiled a bit sheepishly. He glanced at the dungeon door. “I swear I didn’t come down here to fish for compliments.”

 

“What do you mean?” Petra asked. She watched as he walked over to the switch controlling the doors. “Axel, what are you doing?”

 

He stood in front of the switch. He looked over his shoulder at her with the most serious expression Petra had ever seen on Axel’s face.

 

“Look, I might be in the Guard, but we’re friends,” he said. “And I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

 

“Axel, are you…”

 

Now the large man smirked. “You know me, Petra. There’s supposed to be a guard in here at all times, but I’m a big, fat idiot who can’t go a moment without eating.”

 

“And now he’s insulting himself again,” Lukas muttered. “Why did we try to cheer him up?”

 

Petra shushed him.

 

“I was thinking I’d go down to the pantry to get some bread,” he described. “To satisfy my endless hunger, you know?”

 

Petra immediately caught on. “And how long would you say something like that would take you?”

 

“Probably about as long as it would take someone to get from here to the front gate.” Axel flipped the switch, opening the doors to the cells. “I can’t say you won’t run into anyone on the way, but this is the best I can do.”

 

“No, Axel. This is great!” Petra ran up to him and gave him one of her rare hugs. “Thank you!”

 

Axel’s face was a little red when she pulled away, and he cleared his throat.

 

“Young man, we owe you a debt of gratitude,” Milo said.

 

“Definitely.” Lukas stepped forward to shake his hand in thanks.

 

Axel headed for the doorway. “You guys better be gone before I get back. I don’t want to have to throw you back in the cells.”

 

“We will be,” Petra promised. “Thanks again.”

 

Axel headed out of the dungeons, not looking back. Milo rushed to a chest on the other side of the room where their belongings had been stored. He pulled out his things before throwing Lukas and Petra’s respective inventories. For some reason, this included Petra’s sword from the Guard.

 

“Guess it's considered mine?” she figured as she swung it a few times. “Not going to complain though.”

 

“Come on,” Lukas said. “Axel’s right. We got to get out of here while we have the chance.”

 

The trio didn’t have much of an opportunity to see the inside of the palace during the daytime. Thus, being in it during nighttime was a disorienting experience to say the least. Most of the halls were dark, no torches to light the way. And without windows to provide limited starlight there wasn’t much to allow them to see. Lukas could only hope that Petra had the muscle memory to lead them to an unguarded exit.

 

If there was an unguarded exit.

 

It wasn’t long before Petra held up a hand, halting them in their tracks at a corner with a torch. Since she was the only one armed out of the three, she would be the one doing any battling. Any guards they would run into would have swords. If either Lukas or Milo tried to fight, it would not end well.

 

Petra stayed at the corner of the intersection, keeping to the shadows well enough to not be seen. Lukas and Milo watched as she jumped out and stuck her sword forward. There was a gasp, and Lukas swore he could’ve heard the sound of a bowstring being pulled.

 

However, rather than starting a fight, Petra cried out. “Jesse?!”

 

Milo and Lukas glanced at each other and then ran into the open. Sure enough, there was Jesse, standing rigidly straight as the tip of Petra’s sword barely nicked her throat. Olivia stood to the side, her bow ready with an arrow, but she immediately lowered it when she her eyes fell on them.

 

“Oh, thank goodness,” she sighed. “I really didn’t want to fight.”

 

“Sorry.” Petra lowered her sword. “Thought you were a guard.”

 

Jesse swallowed and smiled at her, the relief evident in her shining eyes. Petra chuckled and put her sword away before reaching to give Jesse a tight hug. Jesse froze for a moment but soon returned it.

 

“You must be happy to see me,” she murmured into her friend’s shoulder. “Or you wouldn’t be hugging me so tight.”

 

“I’ll just deny it later,” The redhead stated.

 

“What am I?” Olivia sighed. “Moldy bread?”

 

“It’s good to see you too, Olivia,” Petra added, giving her a hug of her own. “What are you doing here?”

 

“The idea was to bust you guys out of jail, but…” Olivia explained.

 

“Well, we’ve got that part covered,” Petra said as she released her.

 

Reuben skipped forward for some attention from Petra as well. She grinned and gave the little pig a few pats on his head.

 

“Not that we don’t appreciate the attempt,” Milo added. He stepped forward to give Jesse his own hug. “Good to see you, Jesse. I’m glad you’re okay.”

 

“I should be telling you that.” After they finished their hug, Jesse turned to the younger blond and stiffened. She looked at him for only a split second before averting her gaze to the floor. “Um…hi, Lukas.”

 

“Hi Jesse.” His voice was quiet and low.

 

She rubbed the back of her neck, refusing to meet his eyes. Lukas stared at her with a blank expression, waiting for her to take the first step.

 

Milo watched, ready to intervene if he needed to. He didn’t think that would be necessary, but he was ready just in case. Olivia wrung her hands nervously, while Petra was still on the lookout for any guards.

 

Jesse took a deep breath. “Lukas, I’m sorry. I was going to tell you everything, but I just didn’t—”

 

Her words froze in her mouth as Lukas stepped forward and took her face in his hands. Jesse glanced up in time to watch as he pressed his lips against hers. She startled but returned the kiss, closing her eyes.

 

“Oh, for crying out loud,” Olivia said, rolling her eyes and smirking.

 

Petra groaned. “Is this really the time for that?”

 

“Come on, you two,” Milo declared with a grin. “It’s a reunion of lovers. This is something to be celebrated.”

 

Reuben snorted. No one was sure if it was from amusement at the kissing pair, agreement with Milo’s gushing, or joining in with the girls’ annoyance.

 

“That was more than I needed to think about.” Olivia muttered as the couple continued to kiss.

 

Petra shook her head. “Um, guys? You know we _are_ still in a palace fill with guards that want to recapture us, right?”

 

This flat statement brought the two out of their own little world, but they didn’t take their eyes off each other.

 

“I thought you’d be angry,” Jesse whispered.

 

“Oh, I was angry all right,” Lukas confessed. “But Dad was right about prison giving you lots of time to think.”

 

Jesse pulled him closer into a hug, burying her face into his shoulder. “I’m still sorry.”

 

“I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean to make you worry so much.” He separated himself from her, finally smiling. He tilted her chin up so she would look at him again. “No more secrets, okay?”

 

Jesse nodded. “No more secrets.”

 

“Can we get on with it now?” Petra asked, holding her sword up, ready for anything.

 

Milo clicked his tongue. “Kids these days have no romantic notions.”

 

“They’re right though. We need to get out of here.” Lukas grabbed Jesse’s hand and started to pull her down the hall. “Come on.”

 

Jesse probably would have let him pull her along if she hadn’t heard Reuben’s telltale squealing. She looked over her shoulder at him. The pig gave her a raised eyebrow and jerked his head in the direction that would lead to the throne room. Jesse dug in her heels, causing everyone to stop in their tracks and look at her.

 

Lukas glanced at Reuben with a raised eyebrow, finally noticing him for the first time. “Wait, you know a pig?”

 

She ignored him, knowing exactly what Reuben was telling her. “Petra, you know the way out?”

 

“I think so.”

 

“Then you lead everyone else out of here,” she instructed. “I have to get to the throne room.”

 

“Why? What is it?” Milo asked. His brows furrowed with worry.

 

“It’s something I have to take care of.”

 

“Jesse, we just agreed on no more secrets,” Lukas reminded her as he put a hand on her shoulder. “What is it?”

 

“…Aiden’s after the Eversource,” she breathed. “He’s planning to use it to overthrow The Founder…my mother. I can’t let him have it.”

 

“If Aiden has the only way to get resources in Sky City,” Milo said with a slight stuttter. “He could do whatever he wants to the rest of us.”

 

“And that’s not a good thing.” Lukas shook his head. “I don’t want to even think about what he could be planning with it.”

 

“He actually thinks that’ll work?” Olivia wondered aloud. “Taking over Sky City, I mean? What makes him think the Guard will stand around and let him overthrow The Founder?”

 

“Remember how Axel mentioned some kind of coup?” Petra recalled. “I bet Aiden’s the one actually doing it. He probably has on the inside no one knows about.”

 

“It would take a long time for someone to infiltrate the Guard enough to stage a coup,” Jesse concluded. “He might’ve been planning this for a while.”

 

“Even if that was true, and let’s assume it is,” Lukas stated. “How would Aiden even get his hands on the Eversource? No one knows where in the palace The Founder keeps it.”

 

“Jesse does,” Milo realized, his voice becoming wispy. He took his son’s place in front of her. “You must know exactly where it is!”

 

“I do, and Aiden doesn’t. At least, not right now,” she answered. “Aiden even tried to get me to tell him where to find it.”

 

“And you obviously refused,” Olivia said.

 

“Obviously. There’s no way I’d show him where it is.”

 

“But you could show us?” Milo asked. Jesse blinked at him a few times. “We could take the Eversource for ourselves and be free of The Founder’s control! Free resources for everyone!”

 

“That’s what I was thinking too!” Jesse agreed.

 

“So, I guess we’re going to go get the Eversource and rebel against The Founder with it?” Lukas said slowly.

 

“It sounds like that’s the plan,” said Olivia.

 

“Or at the very least, keep the Eversource away from Aiden,” Jesse declared darkly. “If that means keeping it from my mother too, that’s just an added bonus.”

 

Lukas’ eyebrows rose on his forehead while Reuben oinked.

 

“So, we can get to the Eversource from the throne room?” Olivia inquired.

 

“Exactly.” Jesse paused and then started. “Wait a minute. ‘We’?”

 

“Of course, ‘We’,” Petra added. “What? You think we’re going to let you go off by yourself?”

 

“Yeah. What if one of the guards finds you?” Lukas postulated. “They’re not exactly happy with you right now.”

 

“No, they’re not,” she said, rubbing her upper arm. Jesse’s smile was small but grateful. “But you guys need to escape while you have the chance.”

 

“If you think we’re going to just leave you behind, you’re nuts,” her boyfriend professed. His firm tone left no argument.

 

“We’re not leaving you alone in this.” Milo puts his hips, his back straight and his chin out. “Even if we weren’t going to take the Eversource for ourselves.”

 

“We’re your friends, Jesse,” Olivia added. “We’re in this together.”

 

Jesse chuckled as she looked down at Reuben, who decided that sitting on her foot was a good idea. “I’m used to doing things alone. Thanks, guys.”

 

“That all being said,” Petra finally chipped in. “Can we _please_ not talk about this in the middle of the hall in a palace with guards that want us in jail?”

 

Lukas couldn’t help but laugh. “I think Petra doesn’t want us to stick around here.”

 

“We should get going,” Milo said. “If we want to get to the Eversource before Aiden does.”

 

“Right.” Lukas stood next to Jesse. “Lead the way!”

 

“All right. Follow me.” She started jogging down the hall, the others shortly after. Reuben ran ahead of them, oinking happily. “Reuben! Not so loud! We’re still sneaking, remember?”

 

“I ask again, why do you know a pig?” Lukas inquired as they ran.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This is the longest chapter to date, though not by much.
> 
> I’m still looking for input regarding my next project. Please see the notes in chapter 11 for details.

 

“I can’t believe we have to have shifts this late at night,” Harry complained as he and his partner marched the halls of Sky City’s palace.

 

“Yeah, what’s the deal anyway?” Ron whined. “I thought things were going to be different when Aiden took over.”

 

“He keeps saying we need to be patient, but I’m not going to stick around much longer if he doesn’t deliver,” said Harry. “A leader’s no good if he can’t keep his promises.”

 

“But think about it,” Ron reconsidered. “No Founder, no restricted resources, no laws against building.”

 

“Yeah, guess it’s worth the wait.” Harry swiped his hand across his forehead. “But Aiden hasn’t said what he’s going to do with Jesse. Isn’t she next in line to lead? With The Founder out of the way, what’s he going to do with her?”

 

“Don’t know. I just hope she cooperates,” Ron answered. “I don’t like The Founder’s laws much, but Jesse’s not a bad girl. Wouldn’t want something to happen to her.”

 

“Same here.”

 

The two guards continued to grumble as they went down the hall. They didn't notice the group hiding in the shadows around the corner. Jesse stuck her head out to watch the guards walk out of hearing range. She stepped into the hall and waved for the others to follow her.

 

“Hear that, Jesse?” Petra teased. “You’re not a bad girl.”

 

“Oh shut up.” Jesse smiled despite her statement.

 

She led the group down the twists and turns of the halls, heading in the direction of the throne room. She paused at each corner to check, making sure no one was around to see them. When there was a guard on duty, Jesse hid her friends until the coast was clear.

 

Olivia stubbed her toe on another wall when she was forced to come to a stop behind Milo. She grunted and rubbed her boot.

 

“I don’t know how you get around this place,” she criticized, gritting her teeth. “You’d think that The Founder would be a better builder than this. Nope. The whole palace is a maze.”

 

“It wasn’t always this big,” Jesse explained. “She had to add on to it as Sky City grew.”

 

“But why all the twists and turns?” Lukas asked, genuine confusion on his brow. “This is getting ridiculous.”

 

“She said it’s to confuse intruders.” Jesse shook her head. “Only now, it’s confusing us.”

 

“Took me over a week to learn the general layout of this place,” Petra added. “And even then I don’t think I’ve got it all right.”

 

Reuben oinked. He spent a good deal of time exploring the halls. Unlike the humans and their high perspective, Reuben was used to seeing things from far below. He noticed the little things that humans didn’t usually notice. The small scuffle on the corner of a well used intersection…that chip on the floor where Jesse tripped the other day…the skid mark from the new recruit when he was late for his shift…Reuben knew where these spots were and he was able to keep track of his location in that palace.

 

Sometimes humans didn’t notice the smallest details that could help them.

 

Reuben was so busy thinking about his navigation techniques, he didn’t notice he had walked into the open. Jesse grabbed the little pig and pulled him around the corner before the two guards in front of the throne room entrance.

 

“Great.” Jesse blew a raspberry. “I forgot that Mother always has guards at the main entrance.”

 

Lukas peeked around the corner right above her. Petra, Olivia, Milo and Reuben did the same so they all could see the guards blocking their way.

 

“That’s the throne room?” Milo asked.

 

“Well, that’s great,” Olivia muttered. “Not like we can just go and politely ask them to let us in, huh?”

 

“Yeah, we need another idea.” Jesse bit her lip. “I’m not supposed to be out of my room, so I could go and make a distraction—”

 

“And leave us high and dry about where to find the Eversource,” Petra reminded her. “Nope. Not going to work.”

 

“Petra’s right.” Milo scratched his chin in thought. “Although a distraction is not a bad idea. Just what kind?”

 

As if the answer to their dilemma heard them, there was a shout. Plodding footsteps came stomping from down the opposite end of the hall. The group watched as a man in an olive green robe rushed up to the guards. Petra, Olivia and Milo ducked to make sure they weren’t seen. Jesse, Lukas and Reuben continued to watch the scene.

 

“Guards! Guards!” Ivor shouted, flailing his arms around his head. “Those criminals have escaped!”

 

Jesse gasped, but bit her tongue to keep her from crying out. Lukas slapped his forehead.

 

“So much for staying stealthy,” he murmured.

 

“They’re raiding my lab as we speak!” Ivor continued to yell. “They could be brewing potions right now!”

 

The two guards muttered to each other, but Jesse couldn’t make out exactly what they said. What she did notice was Ivor glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. She blinked a few times, wondering if she had imagined it.

 

“Well, what are you just standing there for?!” the potioneer hollered. “Go to my lab and investigate, you imbeciles!”

 

The guards jumped and then rushed down the hall, away from the group and the hall to the throne room. Ivor was a moment behind them. He paused to look over his shoulder at Jesse, gave her a wink, and then joined the guards.

 

Jesse shook her head but grinned. “Looks like that’s the distraction we needed. Let’s go.”

 

They wasted no time leaving their hiding place to reach the double doors. Petra pushed them open and waved the others inside. She glanced around the hall one more time before entering the throne room. She closed the doors most of the way, leaving a small crack so she could look out in case anyone else stopped by.

 

“Wow, that was lucky,” Olivia commented. “Who was that guy, Jesse?”

 

“Yeah, seems he knows you,” Lukas agreed.

 

“That’s Ivor, my tutor,” she answered. “He taught me everything I know about building.”

 

“Wow, the man who taught Jesse everything she knows,” Milo awed, his eyes shining bright. “Now there’s a mind I would love to get to know.”

 

“Well, he blew our cover about you guys escaping,” Olivia muttered.

 

“But he led the guards the other way,” Lukas stated, addressing Jesse. “How far is his lab from here?”

 

“On the other side of the palace,” she replied, rubbing her upper arm. “He’s going to get in trouble when the guards figure out he’s helping us.”

 

“Yeah, good thing he knew you were here.” Lukas paused and shook his head with a sharp jerk. “Wait, how did he know you were here?”

 

“I have no idea.” Jesse could only shrug. “Ivor knows lots of things he probably shouldn’t. I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew about my sneaking out the whole time, even though no one else ever figured it out.”

 

The throne room looked quite different at night. The gold blocks had faded to a sort of deep yellow. The purple carpeting almost matched the dark blue sky behind the throne. Speaking of the throne, it was the only place where torches illuminated the room, creating shadows in the center of the room and nowhere else. Some clouds had gathered above the city, blocking out most of the starlight, and the moon wasn’t visible at all.

 

“So, where’s the Eversource?” Lukas asked. Reuben shoved him with his snout towards a set of tracks to the left of the throne. “Whoa!”

 

“Be nice, Reuben,” Jesse teased. Jesse jogged to the wall where the tracks ended. “He’s right though. This is where we need to go.”

 

“…Into the wall?” Olivia asked. “Um, last time I checked, that wasn’t possible.”

 

Jesse chuckled. “We don’t go into the wall. Mother made a secret passage here that lets mine carts come and go.”

 

“I take it that’s how The Founder moves large amounts of resources,” Milo surmised. “Clever.”

 

“But the redstone circuit isn’t finished,” Olivia proclaimed. She pointed to the empty block in the middle of the line. “Jesse, it looks like it doesn’t have any power.”

 

Jesse and Lukas stared at her for a moment before looking at each other. Jesse rubbed her forehead.

 

“Yeah, I forgot that Mother takes the lever she uses to activate the circuit,” she described. She turned and headed in the direction of the throne. “No worries though. We can make one.”

 

“Really?” Lukas asked. “But we don’t have sticks or cobblestone…or a crafting table, for that matter.”

 

“I’m way ahead of you, Lukas,” Jesse said. “Mother has a cobblestone generator in the back.”

 

She approached the throne with the intent to walk around it. Lukas was right behind her, but almost tripped on Jesse when she stopped in front of the throne. She stared at it with a curious expression, one eyebrow raised. She put her hands on her hips for a moment before climbing the steps. Jesse sat herself down on the throne, smiling as she felt the comfort of the seat.

 

“No wonder Mother likes to sit in this all day,” she whispered only loud enough for Lukas to hear.

 

“Uh, Jesse?” Lukas said. “What are you doing?”

 

She chuckled in response. “Sorry.”

 

“Now’s really not the time for that, Jesse,” Petra called from the door. “The acoustics are funky in this place, so it’s hard to tell when people are coming.”

 

“Sorry Petra,” Jesse said. “I was just having some fun before leaving the palace.”

 

“Leaving the palace?” Lukas followed her to a corner of the land behind the throne room. There was a small pool of water and a pool of lava, with a block of cobblestone between it. “What do you mean leave the palace?”

 

“Just what I said.” Jesse pulled out her pickaxe and mined the block of cobblestone. She snatched it up before the water and lava could flood the space again, making another block of cobblestone. “After we get the Eversource, I’m leaving the palace for good.”

 

“But this is your home,” Lukas reminded her. “You’re really just going to leave it all behind?”

 

“Of course I am,” she answered, looking at him over his shoulder. “There’s no way I’m sticking around. If I do, I’ll never be allowed to see the light of day again!”

 

“What about your mom?” he asked. “You’re just going to leave her here alone?”

 

“After everything she’s done to you guys, she deserves it.” Jesse glanced around. “Now what to do about sticks?”

 

Reuben made a few oinks, and the couple turned to see him standing next to a dead bush. He had a hoof on the bush and a wide smile on his face. Reuben was so proud of himself, he didn’t notice Lukas’ face was drawn up with worry. His eyes followed Jesse as she walked around the small pond to the bush, which happened to be located next to a crafting table.

 

“Look Jesse, I don’t think it’s like that,” he assured her. “I talked a lot with your mom, and I doubt she’d actually keep you prisoner—”

 

“She practically said she would at dinner tonight,” Jesse argued. “She also said she was going to punish you guys for something that should never have been illegal.”

 

“Yeah, believe me, if there was anyone who never thought building should be illegal, I’m one of them.” Lukas shrugged as he watched Jesse punch the dead bush into nothing but a couple of sticks. “But I don’t think she really means to hurt you when she says that. I think you two just need to talk it all out.”

 

“She never listens to anything I say.” Jesse grabbed the sticks and sidestepped to the crafting table. “She’s never listened to me my whole life. Why should I expect her to start now?”

 

As Jesse was placing the cobblestone on the table, Lukas gently took her hand and squeezed. She turned to look up into his blue eyes.

 

“Listen, I’m not saying she’s right. Far from it,” he insisted. “The thing is, I would give anything to have my own mom back. I’m lucky I have my dad. But you…you told me you don’t know your dad, so your mom is your only parent. Are you really going to give up on the only parent you have left?”

 

Jesse froze for a moment, staring into nothing as she seemed to consider this. She bit her bottom lip almost to the point of making it bleed. Lukas waited, hoping against hope she would change her mind. He wasn’t sure what was going through her head, but with any luck she was thinking about his words. Lukas didn’t agree with The Founder’s way of things, but that didn’t mean he wanted Jesse to drive away her own mother, her one parent remaining.

 

Instead, she placed the stick on the crafting table, causing a lever to sprout in its place.

 

“I’m not going back to being a bird in a cage.”

 

“Fantastic!”

 

Jesse and Lukas both jumped at the exclamation in a deep voice. They immediately turned to see Milo staring at them with a toothy grin and raised eyebrows. His gaze switched between their faces and the lever in Jesse’s hand.

 

“Dad! Don’t do that!” His son admonished.

 

“My apologies. I couldn’t help watching,” the elder man explained. “Even when it’s something as simple as a lever. It’s always a thrill to watch someone so confident in their building abilities. You are really something, Jesse.”

 

The green-eyed girl blushed. “Thanks, Milo.”

 

“So, are we getting this door open?” Olivia called from the tracks.

 

“We sure are!” Jesse said as she returned to the redstone circuit and placed the lever on the empty block. “Watch this.”

 

With a flip of the switch, the iron that made up the wall rose up to reveal a large opening. As if on cue, a set of five mine carts ran up the tracks and into the throne room proper. The passage itself slanted downwards, with more tracks leading away. A couple of bangs rang out as the door finished opening.

 

“Hope no one heard that,” Olivia muttered.

 

“Cool secret passage,” Petra commented, glancing down the tracks. “Should’ve known The Founder would go to such lengths to keep the Eversource hidden from us little people.”

 

“This is nothing,” Jesse said. “Mother’s made all kinds of secret tunnels in the walls. In case of an emergency, she said.”

 

“Why am I not surprised by that kind of paranoia?” Milo crossed his arms with a frown.

 

“Paranoia’s right. Only Mother and I know about them. I don’t even think Reginald does. But anyway!” Jesse declared. “Eversource, here we come!”

 

No one hesitated to get in the carts. Reuben joined Jesse in the front, while the others clambered into the ones behind. The mine carts started on their own, heading through the secret door and down the passageway. Once the carts reached the part heading down, they took off through the bottom of the palace like a roller coaster. Lukas gasped. A few turns gave the impression that the mine carts would fly right off the tracks and into the Void, only to swerve to the right or left at the last minute. Olivia covered her eyes and Petra held her arms up, enjoying the thrill.

 

It didn’t take long for the carts to be stopped by a barrier at the bottom, forcing them to an abrupt halt. Reuben jerked in Jesse’s arms for a moment. She climbed out of the mine cart, lending a small hand to her pig friend. She then turned to the large room filled to the ceiling with chests. Wooden slabs with labels indicating what was inside.

 

“Wow, that’s a lot of chests,” Lukas commented, his voice low in wonder.

 

“And they’re labeled?” Petra said.

 

“Creeper? Zombie? Sheep? Pigman?” Milo read off. “These are actually in these chests?”

 

“I’m with Milo,” Petra continued, glancing at Jesse. “What is this all about?”

 

Jesse waved to one of the chests labeled “Sheep,” an amused smile on her face. “Why don’t you take a look for yourself?”

 

Lukas glanced at Petra before heading for the chest and opening it. Inside was a huge pile of eggs with pinkish-brown spots. They were quite unlike the normal white or brown eggs he had seen before. Lukas blinked a few times to make sure he wasn’t imagining the colors and patterning.

 

“An egg?” Petra glanced into the chest as well. “Why are there all these eggs?”

 

“The sign says sheep, not eggs,” Lukas proclaimed. Holding one of the eggs, he turned back to his girlfriend. “Jesse?”

 

“What do you do with eggs?” she said with a shrug. When they didn’t respond, she rolled her eyes. “Give it a throw and see what happens?”

 

“Should I be scared?” Olivia asked.

 

She received no answer. Instead, Lukas turned towards one of the rare uncovered walls. With a small windup, he flung the egg. It immediately cracked open to reveal a small, wooly, four-legged animal. It turned to Reuben and gave a bleat. Reuben snorted in response while the humans all stared at the sheep.

 

“A…sheep?” Petra sounded almost like she wasn’t sure what the animal was.

 

“Is that one of the monsters The Founder claims to fight all the time?” Milo wondered aloud. “That is not so bad. It is fluffy.”

 

“Oh no, not at all.” Jesse swung her arms around in the negative. “That’s a sheep. It’s where mutton comes from. If you want a really bad monster, something like a creeper is much worse. Don’t touch the green ones with black spots.”

 

Reuben oinked loudly, jumping up to one of the chests that was labeled “Pigs.” Jesse nodded to him.

 

“Yeah, that’s where you came from, huh buddy?”

 

“So, these creatures all come out of the eggs?” Olivia inquired, opening another chest and pulling out another egg. This one was yellow with black spots. “And they’re all different colors…”

 

“Yeah, Mother’s figured out what creature comes from what egg based on their color,” Jesse explained. “When the creature is killed, it drops resources that we use for the city.”

 

“So, that’s why The Founder said the Eversource is dangerous,” Lukas realized with a snap of his fingers. “It makes these eggs that spawn monsters she has to fight to get the resources.”

 

“Yeah.” Jesse’s shoulders dropped and she rubbed her upper arm with the opposite hand. “Mother was training me to do it too. Until…”

 

“Until what?” Lukas asked.

 

She was silent until Lukas put a hand on her shoulder. “…I was fighting a spider and it managed to bite me. Mother hasn’t let me down here since.”

 

“How long ago was that?” Olivia inquired.

 

“A long time,” she answered. “I can’t remember exactly.”

 

“Speaking of the Eversource,” Petra proclaimed, trying to move away from the distressing memory. “It makes eggs?”

 

“Yes, where is the Eversource?” Milo added.

 

The statements had their desired effect, as Jesse smiled again. “Oh, you’ll see soon enough.”

 

“Jesse, what aren’t you telling us?” Lukas questioned.

 

She didn’t reply. Instead, Jesse walked down one of the aisles, chests on either side. The others joined her a little more slowly. Petra, Milo and Olivia took the second aisle on the other side of the island in the middle. He jogged a little to catch up with her and grabbed her hand. He might have been a little too rough, as she jumped when they made contact.

 

“Jesse, what is the Eversource? Really?” he asked, his eyes darting around the full room. “If the eggs can create monsters, what can the Eversource itself do?”

 

“Oh goodness, you’re worried about that?” Jesse giggled a bit. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to worry you. No, the Eversource itself wouldn’t harm a fly. Only the eggs could potentially be dangerous.”

 

Jesse covered his hand with her own and squeezed, looking up at him with shining eyes. Just looking into those eyes made Lukas immediately relax. Any anxiety he felt about finding the Eversource soared away, and he couldn’t help but match her smile.

 

“I don’t mean to drag you along like this,” she said. “Come on. I’ll show you the Eversource.”

 

Jesse gently pulled Lukas into the next section of the room. This section had fewer chests and was a more open area. There was a fence at the edge to keep anyone from falling into the Void, but the rest of the wall was exposed to the sky. A large corner was covered not with stone or iron, but with dirt and grass. It was completely different from the rest of the resource room. There were a couple of blocks of dirt piled together to make a small mound. Other than that this area was relatively bare.

 

“Is this the space where your mom fights the…” Lukas trailed off when he spotted a small face peeking out at him from behind the dirt mound. It had two small, beady eyes and a flash of gold on top of its head. Lukas didn’t get a chance to see what that was before it ducked behind the mound again. “What in the…”

 

Jesse chuckled again and walked forward. She kneeled down a few feet away from the dirt mound and held out her hand.

 

“Hey Benny. It’s just me, Jesse,” she said in a soft voice. Lukas watched her with furrowed brows. “I haven’t seen you in so long. Will you please come out?”

 

The little face peeked out again. This time Lukas could tell that whatever the creature was, it wore a golden crown on its head.

 

“Reuben’s here too. You remember him?” Reuben squealed happily to reinforce the point. “And these are my friends. Don’t worry. They won’t hurt you. I promise.”

 

Lukas waited for something, anything, to happen. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but he was not disappointed. He heard a cluck and the flap of a few feathers, and then a small chicken came tumbling out from behind the dirt mound. She tripped on her own feet as she moved, causing her to somersault forward and land on her face.

 

Reuben walked forward and helped the chicken to her feet. The two ran around each other, oinking and clucking in play. All the while, Jesse laughed out loud and Lukas stared with a raised eyebrow.

 

“What—”

 

“Hey Benny,” Jesse said. The chicken, Benny apparently, clucked and flew into her arms. She stood with the chicken in her arms, cradling the little fowl to her chest. “It’s good to see you again too.”

 

“Jesse?” Lukas asked, his head tilting rather far to the side. “Why are you holding a chicken?”

 

“Incredible!” Milo shouted, once again seeming to come out of nowhere.

 

Olivia and Petra turned at the voice and made their way over. Everyone stared at Jesse and Benny in her arms.

 

“Everyone,” Jesse declared. “Meet the Eversource.”

 

Olivia rubbed her eyes and shook her head. “The Eversource…is a chicken?”

 

“What.” Petra’s deadpan tone could have leveled a building.

 

“You have got to be kidding me,” Lukas proclaimed. “A chicken lays all these eggs?”

 

“And the eggs make the monsters,” Olivia summarized. “And the resources that come from the monsters are used for Sky City.”

 

“Exactly!” Jesse gave Benny a few pats on her head. “That’s how Mother has been able to provide resources to everyone all this time.”

 

“Well, not any longer.” Milo stepped forward and held his hands out for the chicken. “We’re going to bring the Eversource to the people! Wit it, we’ll finally be free of The Founder and her laws!”

 

“The chicken that the entire city depends on?” Lukas hollered. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Jesse?”

 

“That’s why we came here, isn’t it?” Olivia asked.

 

“Yeah, we’re here to kidnap, er—” Jesse began.

 

“Chicken-nap?” Petra offered with a smirk.

 

Jesse stared at her for a moment. “Right. We’re here to chicken-nap the Eversource for the people, right?”

 

“Trust me, I get that. But Jesse,” said Lukas. “Look, I know you’re mad at your mom, but do you really want to take away the only way anybody gets any resources at all?”

 

“I’m surprised at you, Son,” Milo commented. “Do you want to stay under The Founder’s thumb for the rest of your life?”

 

“Of course not.”

 

“Then we need to take the Eversource for ourselves so we can have the resources for ourselves.”

 

“And we’ll be sharing them with other people, right?” Jesse suddenly interrupted, giving Benny a squeeze. “Because if you keep them to yourself, you’re no better than Mother or Aiden.”

 

Milo’s eyebrows shot up. He looked at Jesse as if she had punched him.

 

“Jesse, I’m sorry,” he said, his tone much more quiet than before. “I don’t mean to say it that way. I just want to help the people not be limited in what they want to do.”

 

“But we’re no better than Aiden if we keep the Eversource to ourselves either,” Jesse described, looking down at the chicken. “Right, Benny?”

 

Benny clucked and Reuben oinked. Somehow their tones were precisely the same.

 

Milo rubbed the back of his neck. “I want the Eversource for the people, not for myself. You know me better than that.”

 

“Yeah, I know.” Jesse’s smile was genuine this time. “I just…suddenly don’t know about all this.”

 

“I’m not going to force you to do something you don’t want to,” Milo said. “Whatever decision you make, it’ll be the right one.”

 

“We’re with you, Jesse,” Petra announced. “Whatever you want to do.”

 

“Ever though I dragged you all here instead of letting you guys escape while you had the chance?” Jesse asked.

 

“Are you kidding?” Lukas put his arms on his waist and smirked at her. “We volunteered to come, remember?”

 

Any response Jesse was going to give was immediately interrupted by Olivia’s scream. She was picked up by her ankles and thrown to the far wall. Petra and Milo quickly followed, their skulls banging against the walls. Jesse and Lukas spun around to find multiple guards, including Maya and Gill, holding them at sword point.

 

The Founder stood before them, having been the one to throw their companions off their feet. She spread her feet in a pose of a martial artist, one quite used to fighting with and without weapons. She looked up from her eyelids with a dark scowl.

 

“I knew it! I knew you were here to steal from me!”

 

Milo, Petra and Olivia groaned from their wounds. Out of the corner of their eyes they could see Aiden stride forward, that infernal smile still present on his lips. Jesse didn’t take her eyes off him as she slowly lowered Benny to the ground. Reuben herded the chicken to the side of the room, away from the intruding guards.

 

“Dang it,” Petra whispered. “Let my guard down. Didn’t hear them coming.”

 

“Jesse, bring the Eversource here,” The Founder commanded. Jesse stared at her with narrow eyes. Isa squinted her own eyes and gritted her teeth. “Jesse. Come here. Now.”

 

Lukas felt a hand grab his, and he glanced down to see that instead of obeying, Jesse took his hand in hers. He gave her a tight squeeze and gave The Founder a determined glare.

 

 _I’m standing with you, Jesse._ _No matter what._

 

“It’s just like I told you, Founder!” Curse Aiden and his big mouth! “They’ve tricked Jesse into stealing the Eversource for them!”

 

“That’s not what’s going on!” Petra hissed from her spot in front of Maya’s sword.

 

“You’ve got the wrong idea!” Olivia joined in.

 

“Shut up, criminals!” Aiden ordered, barely giving them a look in favor of scowling at the couple’s entwined fingers.

 

“You just want it for yourself, Aiden!” Jesse screamed, ignoring her mother entirely. “Stop pretending!”

 

Aiden visibly jumped at her tone. His eyes widening for a split second before returning to normal size. His face became arrogant and aggressive again.

 

“And I’m supposed to believe the escaped convicts?” The Founder declared. Aiden’s smile only got wider. She glanced back and forth between Milo and Lukas. “Aiden warned me all about how you’ve been trying to corrupt my daughter’s mind! And this just proves it! Convincing her to bring you here so you could steal the Eversource!”

 

“As if I couldn’t make my own decision about that for myself,” Jesse muttered. Lukas was doubtful her mother had heard her.

 

“You think you can just waltz in here and take away not only my only daughter,” The Founder’s voice was so raw it was almost as if it could break at any moment. “But the very thing that Sky city depends on to survive?”

 

“Boy, when you put it like that I almost feel bad.”

 

The Founder’s gaze froze and then snapped to Aiden. He had backed up a number of steps to one of the chests labeled “Creeper” and taken one of the eggs out of it. Lukas’s eyes went wide at the sight. It was a green egg with black spots, the exact one Jesse had warned them only minutes ago to never touch.

 

“Founder, the Eversource is no longer yours,” Aiden said as he threw the egg up and down, catching it in his palm. “Oh, and neither is your daughter or your throne. They’re all mine now.”

 

“What?” She backed up a few steps. “What are you talking about Aiden?”

 

“Just what I said,” he emphasized with a shake of his head. “Your reign over Sky City is over. But don’t worry. Your legacy will continue on in Jesse.”

 

“I’m not cooperating in anything with you, Aiden!” Jesse yelled, fisting the hand that wasn’t holding onto Lukas.

 

“I trusted you,” The Founder whispered through her teeth. “I thought you were helping me, helping Sky City. And I was going to make you my daughter’s bodyguard!”

 

“Oh, don’t worry about her.” Aiden turned his head to blow Jesse a kiss. The very sight of it made Lukas want to vomit. If Jesse’s expression was anything to go by, she felt the same. “I’ll take good care of Jesse when you’re gone.”

 

“Aiden, don’t do this.”

 

“Let’s see how these eggs really work, huh?”

 

With that all said and done, Aiden launched the egg at The Founder. She ducked in time to avoid it. Lukas and Jesse only had a moment to react to avoid getting hit by the egg themselves. The egg cracked open and, just like the sheep, a creature popped out. It was a strange four-legged monster with skin like moss. It’s face, if one could call it that, released a hiss and the creature immediately started blinking.

 

“Creeper!” Jesse shouted. “Lukas! Watch out! They explode!”

 

The creeper decided to face off against The Founder. She pulled out a pair of diamond swords out of her inventory in preparation for a fight. If she was hoping to defeat the monster before it blew up, she was disappointed. The blinking didn’t last long before the creeper burst apart in a puff of smoke and heat.

 

Lukas found himself thrown back, the back of his head hitting the edge of one of the chests. Stars filled his vision for several seconds. When he was able to compose himself, the first thing he saw was Jesse bringing herself to her feet a few yards away. The blast of course affected her too. Aiden was a little better off, having landed on his back further into the island. Benny was running around in circles in a complete panic, while Reuben was doing his best to herd the chicken to a safer spot.

 

A little farther away was The Founder, hanging on for dear life to the edge of the island. She had been the one closest to the exploding creeper, so she took the brunt of the blast. It must have hurled her up a few feet. By sheer luck she managed to grab the dirt edge to keep herself from falling into the Void. Jesse’s eyes widened at the sight, but in the corner of her eye she also spotted Aiden beginning to stand.

 

Luckily for her, Lukas was also on his feet by this time, despite the small amount of blood dripping down the back of his neck from his head injury. He immediately launched himself at Aiden, wrestling with him to keep him from reaching Jesse, The Founder, or the animals.

 

“I’ve got Aiden!” Lukas called to her. “Save your mom!”

 

“Oh, you’ve ‘got’ me, Lukas?” Aiden taunted back, delivering a punch of his own. “We’ll see about that!”

 

Everything was happening so fast, Jesse could barely keep up with reality. Her mother was dangling over the edge of the Void, ready to drop at a moment’s notice, while her boyfriend was fight his former friend and now enemy. Her head snapped back and forth between them, completely unsure of who she should help. Her mother or her boyfriend?

 

Well, one thing Jesse knew was that Lukas was tough and could hold his own. Her mother…Jesse may not have been happy with her at the moment, but she didn’t want to see her fall into the Void!

 

She had absolutely no time to think! She rushed to her right and slid across the dirt to grab her mother’s hand right before she fell.

 

“Got you!” Jesse grunted as she struggled to pull the older woman up. She managed to grab her other hand and with a bit more leverage Jesse was able to pull Isa up to safety. “Got you.”

 

Isa let out a relieved breath. “Jesse…thank you.”

 

Jesse nodded and was about to turn around with every intention to help Lukas and sort out this whole mess. She froze, however, when Lukas was pushed back and off the island. He let out a scream of terror.

 

“Lukas!”

 

Unlike before, when everything was happening at a breakneck pace, now Jesse’s whole world slowed down. The backdrop of the night sky emphasized his wild blonde hair, fluttering like feathers in the wind as he fell. Jesse’s eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open, and she found she just couldn’t move.

 

Freezing turned out to be the worst thing she could do. Before she knew it, Jesse felt herself being grabbed by the wrist. She was yanked backwards, away from the island edge. It was Aiden, and at the same time he took advantage of everyone’s shock to literally kicking Isa into the Void.

 

Jesse let out a low gasp. “Mother!”

 

She pushed Aiden out of the way, throwing herself back on the dirt and darting an arm out as if she would catch her again. Jesse was far too late this time though. She could do nothing but watch as her mother tumbled through the sky, becoming ever smaller and smaller until she was nothing more than a tiny dot.

 

“Mother! LUKAS!”

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I’m still looking for input regarding my next project. I’ve decided that in addition to my other choices, I’m considering doing a sort of 100 theme list challenge as my next project. I haven’t chosen which choice. I’m still looking into it. As such, the updated options for what I plan to write next after this story are as follows:
> 
> 1\. Sequel to Rebel of Sky City, taking place five years after. Basically equivalent to season two.
> 
> 2\. A sort of crossover of MCSM with Harry Potter, but without any characters or lore from Harry Potter. Basically replacing HP characters with MCSM characters and plotline.
> 
> 3\. A portal hopping adventure, dealing with the Order’s adventures between episodes six and seven of season one. I would be taking suggestions from readers if anyone would like.
> 
> 4\. A 100 theme list challenge, with each chapter being a different theme. This would likely be focusing on Lukesse, because it’s my OTP and I say so.
> 
> 5\. Something entirely different, with suggestions welcome.
> 
> If you have anything to share, please leave a review with your vote, or go to my Fanfiction.net account (found here: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1106919/shielddrake42) and leave a vote on the poll there. I really appreciate any participation to help me come to a decision.
> 
> Enough of all that now! On to the chapter! Whew, this chapter is longer than I anticipated.

Jesse wasn’t sure what happened next.

 

She blacked out after seeing Lukas and her mother fall off the island. She remembered screaming, the clanking of swords, and the pounding of footsteps. The rest of the world was lost to her. All she could see or think about was her mother and the love of her life falling off Sky City’s island. Into the Void. Into nothingness.

 

They were gone.

 

Who knows how much time actually passed between then and the time Jesse became aware again. She finally noticed Reuben shoving his wet snout into her arm. By that point, Jesse had been moved out of the palace basement and back into the throne room. She was sitting on the floor in the corner of the chamber, close to the double doors of the entrance. Reuben was with her of course, not budging from her side and oinking in concern. Reginald kneeled by her as well, holding her shoulders and gently shaking her, trying to rouse her.

 

Jesse looked up at him, her vision blurry from the tears in her eyes.

 

“Reginald…” she whispered, her voice and body both shaking viciously. “Lukas…Mother…”

 

“Hush now. I know.” Reginald’s voice was quiet as he carefully wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I’m here, Jesse. I’m here for you.”

 

In the back of her mind, she noticed that he didn’t say anything about it all going to be okay. He must have known it wouldn’t be.

 

“I didn’t know…I didn’t mean for this to happen…” Reuben rubbed his head against her arm again. Jesse picked him up and pulled him into her lap. “I didn’t mean…”

 

Reginald hushed her again. “I know. It’s not your fault, Jesse. None of this is your fault.”

 

She gulped, surely loud enough that it could be heard across the room. “Lukas…I dragged him into all this…I never should’ve even talked to him…”

 

“You don’t really feel that way,” Reginald said.

 

“And Mother…” Jesse ignored him, shaking her head. “The last thing I ever said to her was that I hated her…How could I—”

 

“Jesse.” This time, Reginald’s voice was firm and he squeezed her arms, forcing her to look up at him again. “I cannot stress this enough. You did not know any of this would happen. You did not do anything to cause this to happen.”

 

Of course, Jesse didn’t believe him for a second, but if Reginald felt better to tell her these things, she wasn’t going to stop him. “Where…Where are the others?”

 

“Aiden and his goons drove them out of the palace,” he explained. “I only saw them through here. I wasn’t going to leave you.”

 

The black-haired woman finally glanced around the throne room. The sun had risen, and the sky beyond the throne was bright orange and pink. Several guards were still in the room. Most of them were hovering over the mine carts filled with Eversource eggs of various colors. True to Reginald’s word, none of her friends were anywhere to be seen. Jesse’s breath hitched as she realized that neither was Aiden.

 

“Where’s Aiden?” Her gaze fell on the Eversource Eggs. “What’s he going to do with those?”

 

Reginald bit his lip as his gaze followed hers. “He said he was going to go declare to the townspeople that The Founder…”

 

Jesse’s eyes fell to Reuben in her lap. The little pig squeaked as her grip on him tightened. Reginald took a deep breath.

 

“He was going to tell the people that The Founder had died and that he was in charge now,” Reginald finally managed to say. “He wanted to bring you out and tell them that you’re Isa’s daughter. He wanted to say you approved this, but you weren’t responding at the time."

 

She let out the tiniest of laughs. “There’s no way the people are going to believe him. What is Aiden thinking?”

 

“I’m not entirely sure he is,” the captain reasoned. He pulled her hair behind her ear. “But I’m not going to let him get away with this. Understand?”

 

Jesse stared up at him for several minutes. She wanted to believe his words, but had a hard time thinking anything was going to change for the better. She buried her head into Reuben’s back and continued to quietly sob. Reginald pulled the two to his chest, sandwiching Reuben between them. He didn’t seem to care about the cramped space though.

 

Reginald looked down at the young woman in his arms. He always hated to see Jesse upset, whether it was simply from a scraped knee or because of an argument with her mother. To see her in such pain, the same pain that stabbed him in his own heart at the thought that he would never see Isa again. It was incomprehensible! He just couldn’t wrap his mind around it!

 

The worst part? There was nothing he could do to fix it, and there was nothing he could do to make Jesse feel better.

 

The doors to the throne room burst open. Aiden came charging inside, Gill and Maya close behind him. Jesse jumped at the sound and let out a gasp. She watched as Aiden walked over to the throne and kicked the side of it. His fists were clenched, while the vessels in his neck seemed to visibly throb.

 

“I can’t believe these people!” He shouted, his voice rumbling with a growl. “How dare they!”

 

“What happened, sir?” Jesse recognized the voice as that of Ron, one of the guards who must have defected to Aiden’s cause.

 

“They didn’t believe him,” Maya announced, her own scowl marring her face. “Wouldn’t follow his orders.”

 

“Some believed him about Jesse being The Founder’s daughter, but only some,” Gill added. “Most didn’t believe a word he said and wouldn’t commit to him being the new leader.”

 

“Even after he threatened them with the Eversource eggs—” Maya began, but she was immediately cut off by another of Aiden’s snarls. “Whoa, dude.”

 

“If they think I was bluffing about using the eggs,” Aiden rumbled as he approached the filled mine carts. “They’ve got another thing coming.”

 

“So we get to use them now?” Aiden nodded at Gill’s question. He pumped a fist. “Yes! Which ones?”

 

Aiden gave his friend a smirk. “Any of them.”

 

Gill and Maya both let out a whoop of triumph before gathering up as many of the colored eggs as they could carry. Many of the other guards in the room did the same, but at a more sedate pace. Aiden took a couple for himself as well. He then turned to where Jesse, Reuben and Reginald were all huddling in the corner.

 

“And if the people don’t believe me after some roughing up,” Aiden said as he approached them. “Maybe they’ll listen to The Founder’s daughter about how we’re a couple and we’re in charge now.”

 

Reginald gave him a glare as he slowly stood up, slowing releasing Jesse and turning to face the boy head-on. “Jesse is not doing anything for you.”

 

“I don’t think you’re in a position to argue with me, Reggie.” Aiden snapped his fingers at the guards. They pulled their swords out and began to advance. “Don’t make me hurt you."

 

“Not on your life.” Reginald quickly pulled out his own sword. “You won’t touch her.”

 

“Reginald…” Jesse murmured, bringing herself to her own feet but not releasing her hold on Reuben.

 

The guards lunged forward, attacking the captain simultaneously. However, Reginald was far better trained than any of the guards beneath him in rank. He was able to parry and throw off his assailants within a few seconds. A third guard ran up to his side, but Reginald saw him out the corner of his eye in time. He ducked away from the sword and then thrust his own weapon in retaliation. The guards moved back a few steps.

 

“I’ve supervised training for all of you,” Reginald proclaimed, giving them all a narrow stare. “Do you honestly think any of you can outfight me?”

 

Jesse could see the nervous glances the guards had between each other, and Gill visibly gulped on the sidelines. Aiden, however, grinned.

 

“One-on-one, sure, but in a group? You don’t stand a chance.” Aiden pulled out his own sword. “Come on, you chickens. Take him out.”

 

Aiden’s taunt had its desired effect. The guards smiled and crept up towards Reginald again. After a couple more blows, he was able to push back the line once more. Aiden rushed forward and slammed his blade into Reginald’s. The clang of metal on metal echoed through the throne room. The pair dueled for a time before Reginald gave a strong kick to Aiden’s stomach, sending the younger man flying backwards. He gave out a grunt, but managed to stay on his feet.

 

“I told you, stay back!” Reginald shouted. He glanced over his shoulder at Jesse. “You need to make a run for it, Jesse. I’ll hold them off.”

 

Her eyes widened while Reuben squealed. “There’s no way I’m leaving without you!”

 

Reginald stared at the young woman behind him, her eyes still moist from crying. They had always been the brightest green Reginald had ever seen. She got the color from her mother, but the shade was different enough. His eyes weren’t at all like that.

 

“I’ve already lost your mother to this monster,” Reginald said, turning back to give Aiden a deadly glare. “I’m not losing you too.”

 

“Reginald—”

 

“You know the secret your mother kept. Use it.” Reginald parried another guard away. “Go! Now!”

 

Jesse squeezed her eyes closed for a moment before darting out from her hiding place behind Reginald. He blocked a guard’s path to her in time to allow her to rush out of the throne room and into the palace halls. She kept Reuben pressed to her chest the whole time, and he oinked loudly at her grip.

 

“Stop her!” she heard Aiden command. “Bring her back!”

 

Jesse ran down the halls, trying to get as far away from the throne room as possible. She could hear the banging footsteps of guards chasing after her as she turned a corner.

 

“Reginald couldn’t hold them off forever,” she whispered to Reuben, who gave her a worried look. “I don’t think we’ll make it outside. We need to hide.”

 

Reuben oinked in confusion. Hide? Hide where? The guards were right behind them!

 

“Don’t worry. Mother’s secret. She made a backup plan years ago.” She stopped in front of a large picture of a chicken sitting on six eggs. Jesse put Reuben on the floor and pulled on the picture frame. It swung open like a door, revealing a hidden passage behind it. “Get in! Get in!”

 

Reuben wasted no time jumping into the secret tunnel. Jesse joined him and shut the painting closed, making it look like a normal, empty hallway from outside. Jesse listened as the guards’ footsteps grew louder but then slowed to a stop. She put a finger up to her lips to gesture to Reuben to be silent. The little pig gritted his teeth to keep himself from oinking out, though his legs wouldn’t stop trembling.

 

“I know she went down this way!” Ron shouted, his voice barely muffled by the painting.

 

“Well, she’s not here now!” Margaret complained. “Where did she go?”

 

“We better find her quick!” Harry yelled, sounding like he was heading down the hall the other way. “Or Aiden’s going to be pissed!”

 

Jesse waited until their footsteps faded again before releasing the breath she had been holding. She gave a little nod to Reuben and then climbed the small set of steps, turning a corner down the secret passage.

 

“Mother built these tunnels when I was a kid,” Jesse whispered to her porcine friend. “Just in case of an emergency.”

 

Reuben squeaked quietly, his eyes squinting in the dark. He could barely see a thing! It wasn’t long before he tripped over something. He couldn’t see it, so it may have been his own hooves for all he knew. He landed on the stone floor, kicking up a huge cloud of dust that had previously been sitting on the floor. It rose up to Jesse’s face and up her nose, causing her to sneeze and cough at the same time. What a strange sensation that was.

 

“Mother must not have been in here since she built it either.” Jesse waved her hand to disperse the dust. They came to a four-way intersection and she paused. “Well, now what?”

 

Reuben was sure that question was more for herself than for him, but he oinked in response anyway. He rubbed his head against her leg and gave her a small smile. It was all he could do to show she wasn’t alone.

 

It must have worked, because Jesse returned his grin and rubbed him behind his ears. Reuben oinked again. He loved it when she did that!

 

“Yeah, okay. Time to think. What to do now?” Jesse glanced down the three hallways, ignoring the one they had come from. She sighed and blew her hair out of her face. “With Aiden taking over and some of the guards going to his side, I don’t even know who to trust anymore. Reginald was the only one I knew for sure.”

 

Reuben oinked, and Jesse seemed to know what he was saying. “Yeah, I’m sure I can trust Axel, but I have no idea where he is.”

 

At this, the little pig sat on his haunches and snorted. He didn’t know anything about what to do, and it was frustrating that he couldn’t think of anything that could help. The best option would be if they could escape the palace and get help in the city. Surely someone would be willing to help fight Aiden off?

 

The problem with that is the guards would be looking for them everywhere. They were already looking over every nook and cranny for any sign of them. Finding a secret way out like Jesse had all these months were less likely to be feasible. The chances of getting caught were just too great.

 

Getting help from the outside might be possible if they could get a letter or something out there. However, that led to the same problem of actually getting said letter to someone in the city. And even then, whom would they send the letter to? Who knew where Petra and Olivia were, and Aiden must have had someone following Milo wherever he went. They were all probably in hiding as well.

 

No. For the moment, they were on their own.

 

Jesse snapped her fingers, making Reuben jump a little at the sudden noise.

 

“Ivor! He was still in the palace last time we saw him!” she declared. “He’ll have an idea of what to do. If nothing else, we can get out of here together.”

 

Reuben oinked, agreeing wholly with the prospect. The two friends smiled at each other. Yes, Ivor would help them!

 

“Ivor’s probably in his lab. Now the next question is, how do we get there from here?” Jesse turned her attention back to the three halls. After a few moments of staring from Reuben, she shook her head. “It’s been ages since I’ve been in these passages. I have no idea where we are.”

 

Jesse took a moment to smack her head against the iron walls before trying to orient herself.

 

“Okay, so we entered the tunnels this way, and then we turned this way.” She positioned herself in the different directions as she tried to figure out where to go. “I think…Ivor’s lab is on the east side of the palace, so that means we should go…this way?”

 

She pointed towards one of the tunnels. Reuben looked up at her with narrowed eyes and a cocked eyebrow. She shrugged.

 

“Okay, okay. So, I don’t know for sure if this is the way,” she admitted. “But it’s better than just standing here, right?”

 

Reuben nodded. He certainly didn’t have a better idea, so he followed his human as she starting walking through the halls. Whenever they came to another intersection, Jesse would pause to figure out which direction was the correct one. Reuben just watched as his friend tried to logic her way through the tunnels. Unlike the main hallways in the palace, he was in completely unfamiliar territory. He was absolutely no help at all, much to his chagrin.

 

It took some educated guessing on her part, but eventually the pair came to a longer hallway.

 

“Stay close, Reuben,” she instructed, her voice lowering to a whisper. “I think this might be it, but we better stay quiet until we know the coast is clear.”

 

Reuben let out a soft snort in agreement.

 

The tunnel led to a small door, with the same appearance as the one the pair had used to enter the secret passage behind the painting. It was likely that a painting was also used to hide this door, although without checking Jesse couldn’t be sure. Embedded in the wall was a pair of eyeholes, allowing Jesse to glance into the room on the other side of the presumed painting.

 

“Hope this is Ivor’s lab.” Jesse had to stand on her toes to look through the eyeholes.

 

Sure enough, by some lucky miracle, Jesse had managed to lead them to the passage ending at Ivor’s lab. It was one of the few places Jesse wasn’t allowed to go. Ivor didn’t want her to accidentally set off one of his potentially dangerous experiments he performed there. At least, that was the reason he always gave. Jesse often suspected it was because Ivor liked to have some quiet time to himself, without a young child running around underfoot. Even as a teenager and young adult, Jesse never ventured into his lab.

 

Taking a look in the lab, Jesse realized that it was really more of a study than a lab. The walls were covered with bookshelves from top to bottom. Some of the shelves contained books of course, but many others contained some of the basic brewing ingredients that Ivor needed. Jesse was a bit surprised that he had so many books, especially when he could get one from the library any time he wanted. What kind of books did he keep there? Obviously, she couldn’t see the book titles from where she was.

 

She could, however, see the several brewing stations scattered around the room. The bottles on the stands glowed various colors, including blue, red, purple and green. The bright red one was bubbling fermented smell that emanated even through the eyeholes, burning Jesse’s eyes just a little.

 

Jesse wiped the tears from her eyes and continued to look through. At the far end of the room, four iron blocks were stacked in the form of a T. They stood on a small pedestal made of wood, much like Build Club’s stage but on a smaller scale.

 

She gasped as she saw the occupants in the room, and her gaze darted down to Reuben. “It’s Aiden! He’s already in there!”

 

Ivor glared at Aiden, ignoring Gill and Maya as they stood at his sides, holding Ivor’s arms out to his sides. He sneered as Aiden walked around his lab, poking and prodding at a few of the potions that were brewing. The usurper splashed his hand in the cauldron of water in the center of the room.

 

“You want me to do what?” Ivor scowled.

 

“I want you to provide me a potion for Jesse.” Aiden shook his hand dry and turned his attention back to the older man. “You’ve heard that Jesse is missing, right?”

 

“As I heard it, she ran away from you.” Ivor’s tone showed he was not playing into Aiden’s game. “After you killed her mother and young man.”

 

If Aiden reacted to the mention of either Lukas or Isa, he didn’t let it show for once.

 

“I would like something that would make her easier to catch, once she’s found,” he explained. “A Potion of Weakness? Or a Potion of Slowness? Something like that?”

 

Jesse felt a shiver flow down her spine at the mention of those effects. She was not a potion expert (she and Ivor hadn’t quite gotten to actually brewing together yet), but she did know many of their possible functions. She bit her lip at the thought of not being strong enough to even lift her arm, or being stuck moving in slow motion. Jesse shook her head to get those thoughts of out her head.

 

“Oh no,” she whispered. _What’s he going to do?_ _Ivor wouldn’t really give Aiden a potion like that, would he?_

 

She needn’t have worried. In response to the command, Ivor yanked his arms out of Gill and Maya’s grip. He stepped forward and crossing his arms across his chest. Neither of them made any move to restrain Ivor again, leaving him free to snarl at Aiden. Jesse could almost see his teeth beneath his beard, the man was so angry.

 

“You must be out of your mind,” he hissed, his saliva flying as he spat. “If you think I’m going to give you _anything_ that would harm Jesse.”

 

There was a pause as Ivor’s statement sank into the room.

 

“It’s really annoying that so many people are staying loyal to The Founder like this!” Aiden stomped his foot. “I don’t get it! The Founder has controlled us for ages! Why do you insist on siding with her?!”

 

“Jesse means a lot to the people in this palace, not just to The Founder,” the older man proclaimed. “In fact, if Jesse was here right now, hiding somewhere, I’d tell her to not reveal herself no matter what happens to me.”

 

Ivor’s eyes seemed to flicker over to the painting where Jesse was watching. If she didn’t know any better, she would think he somehow knew she was there.

 

“How does he do that?” Jesse whispered to Reuben as quietly as possible.

 

She couldn’t see Aiden’s face, but Jesse wouldn’t be surprised if he frowned, at the very least, by now. The tautness of his spine was a clear indication of how much he was trying to hold in his rage.

 

“You would rebel against your new leader? Just like that?”

 

“I’m a lot of things,” Ivor said. “But disloyal is not one of them.”

 

“I have a lot of guards in this palace, Ivor.” Aiden’s hands became fists. “I can _make_ you give me a potion.”

 

“You are not in charge here, Aiden. No matter how much you want to rule,” Ivor answered with a shake of his head. “And you should know better than to threaten the best crafter in the city.”

 

Before Aiden, Gill or Maya could respond, Ivor spun around and dived behind the four iron blocks. The three drew their weapons, ready to pounce at any moment. Meanwhile, Ivor pulled a pumpkin out of his inventory and set it down on top of the piled iron.

 

“If you won’t leave of your own volition, Aiden, I’ll happily remove you myself.” Setting the pumpkin on the iron, the blocks all shook for a moment before a large iron golem popped into existence. It stamped its feet and stretched out its long arms. “Show our friends the door, will you?”

 

The three turncoats screamed as the golem swung at them, knocking over one of Ivor’s shelves in the process. Jesse shook her head jerkily, he jaw dropping.

 

“Ivor, what are you thinking?!” She gasped, but remembered his indirect instructions to stay hidden. She cursed. “Dang it, Ivor!”

 

The golem seemed to do more damage than good really. After all, the only fighting abilities it seemed to know involved smashing and breaking things. It knocked over and shattered several jars of fermented spider eyes, glowstone dust, and ghast tears while trying to attack Maya. She was much too nimble to be caught, but Gill and Aiden slashed their swords at it to no avail.

 

While the others were occupied, Ivor went to his workbench and grabbed three finished potions off the top. He turned just in time to see the golem take a swing at Aiden. He backed up right into the smoking brewing stand, causing it to emit an even larger amount of smoke.

 

“No! Not that one!"

 

The explosion that followed was enormous enough to cause the windows of the palace to crack and the stone beneath to crumble. The golem was unaffected, but the others were thrown back away from the center of detonation. The blast was large enough to cause some of the blocks on the walls to fall, including the ones on the far side of the room where Ivor had his workbench. Jesse jumped back from the eyeholes to hide from the flying debris. Some of the smoke even made it through, and she had to suppress a cough.

 

She waited for the smoke to clear before she scanning the lab again. Aiden, Gill and Maya continued to fight the iron golem, despite the crumbling walls and burning books. The wall leading to the hallway and the rest of the palace had been partially blown away, leaving the hallway exposed. The iron golem couldn’t fit inside the hall, and the three humans were using that to their advantage.

 

The far wall had been completely destroyed, leaving a huge gaping wound exposed to the sky. It was later in the morning by that time, and the sight of the blue sky let Jesse see that the entire area on that side was gone. That included the workbench, some of the shelves…

 

…and Ivor himself. He was gone as well.

 

“No!” Jesse cried out. She immediately put a hand over her mouth to muffle the noise. Thankfully, Aiden and the others were too distracted to have noticed. She glanced at the destroyed lab once more before turning away. “Come on, Reuben. We got to get out of here before Aiden spots us.”

 

Reuben nodded. He had heard the conversation and the explosion, but having not seen any of the lab, he didn’t know what Jesse had just observed. It was obvious to him that his human friend was absolutely distraught. Considering the state she had been following Isa and Lukas’ fall off the island, that was saying something.

 

He followed as Jesse sprinted away from the eyeholes and back down the secret passage. She furiously scrubbed at her eyes, not looking where she was going. There were a few times she ran straight into a wall, cursed, and then took off running again. Reuben could only watch and oink in concern as he tried to keep up, his hoof beats echoing through the tunnel.

 

After several minutes, Reuben began to suspect that Jesse either didn’t know where she was heading or she didn’t care. The latter was more likely, given how a sob would wrack through her shoulders every few seconds.

 

Eventually she ran out of breath, both from running and crying. She slowly stumbled to a stop, leaned against the wall, and slid down into a sitting position. Her arms hung limply at her sides, and her legs bent at unusual angles, making her look like a rag doll that had been thrown around. Reuben walked up to her, thinking that was a pretty good description of how she probably felt.

 

He lifted her flaccid arm, putting himself underneath it and against her chest. Jesse turned and buried her face into his back.

 

“Everything’s falling apart, Reuben!” She cried with a hiccup. “First Lukas and Mother, then Reginald, and now Ivor’s gone too…and it’s all because of me…”

 

Reuben squeaked and shoved his cold nose into her hand. It wasn’t her fault! She couldn’t have known this was going to happen! The whole reason she broke out of her room was to stop something like this from happening!

 

Jesse gasped for breath. “What am I supposed to do now? Aiden’s going to go after the others and then the rest of the city. With Mother…”

 

She lost her breath again, unable to even voice the thought about what happened to her mother.

 

“With Mother gone, I’m supposed to lead Sky City. I’m supposed to protect them.” Jesse took a deep breath. “I wish Lukas was here. He’d know what to do, or at least what to say. He always knew what to say.”

 

Reuben let out a sad oink. Jesse’s human boy was wonderful, and in the short time he had known him, Reuben had grown quite fond of Lukas. To his shame, there wasn’t anything Reuben could do to change any of this, or comfort Jesse the way Lukas could have. It was almost enough to throw him into despair himself.

 

All he could do was allow Jesse to hug him as much as she wanted.

 

She cried and cried, and Reuben just let her. She had been crying a lot in the last day and a half. It must have been so tiring. Jesse also hadn’t slept since the night before last. She had spent the entire night helping Lukas and the others find Benedict. Now it was the following morning, and getting later and later.

 

Twenty-four hours without sleep and dealing with some of the most emotionally traumatic events of her life. Was it any surprise that Jesse was exhausted

 

Reuben’s theory was only proven when Jesse’s breathing began to slow and even out, her body still slumped against the wall. Reuben snuggled closer as she slept, doing his best to keep her warm.

 

Whatever they were going to do next, Jesse was going to need rest to do it.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m still looking for input on my next project. The updated choices are in chapter 19.
> 
> Most people are voting for a sequel to this story, which I completely understand. I am having a bit of trouble thinking about the plot though. I have several scenes in my head, but they’re not really coming together to make a coherent story. I certainly don’t want it to be a disappointment to anyone (including myself), so I’m thinking I might need to let the ending of season 2 stir in my head for a bit before I post an actual sequel. I’m not saying never, but just maybe not immediately. I’d probably work on another project in the meantime that’s one of the other choices. Or if I do figure it out, I’ll jump straight into the sequel. I don’t know yet. I do appreciate any opinions about it.
> 
> Anyway, this is out quickly because it’s pretty short. Sorry there’s not a lot going on here. The next chapter will have more stuff happening.
> 
> Also, I couldn’t find a way to fit my favorite quote from season 1 episode 5 in this chapter! I’m so sad!

 

Freefalling was the most surreal feeling Isa had ever felt in her life.

 

The falling sensation only lasted a few moment. After that, it seemed almost like she was flying, or at least how she would imagine flying. Going straight down, however, was absolutely frightening!

 

After Aiden had shoved her out of the palace basement, she started screaming her head off and did not stop for several minutes. Of course, after yelling her voice raw, her shrieking gradually waned until she continued to fall without reaching any place at all. She glanced around at the emptiness surrounding her.

 

_I don’t know why I expected anything different,_ Isa thought. _It’s called the Void for a reason._

 

This wasn’t supposed to happen! She had put the fence there on the edge of the island to prevent a thing such as this from happening! Benedict knew better than to get anywhere close to it, but she had built the fence there for extra safety anyway. She only released a monster from a spawn egg under carefully controlled circumstances. It would have been foolish for her to do otherwise. Isa never thought a creeper would be spawned so near the edge.

 

She should have reinforced the wall with obsidian.

 

“This is all that fool Milo’s fault!” Isa shouted to no one. “Him and his boy! Thanks to them, I get to find out what really happens when you fall off the island!”

 

Isa twisted her body as best as she could so she could look up towards the sky. She could see that her island had become little more than a speck against the clouds. Her angry breath seethed between her teeth.

 

Her daughter was up there! And now she was all alone with that traitor Aiden! She didn’t want to even think about what he was going to do to her little girl! That creep had completely fooled her! He made her think he actually cared about what was best for Sky City! He knew what would trick her, and Isa had played right into his hands!

 

Isa could feel her fists shaking in rage as she spun and continued to fall.

 

_Jesse had been right all along._

 

She fell past the last clouds, and for a moment Isa wondered if she was going to reach the point where the Void melted into nothingness. What happened when something fell into nothingness? Did it just disappear? Was it taken somewhere else? No one knew.

 

Isa had always tried her hardest to keep her people away from the edge of the island. After a few people - including Milo, she thought with a grimace - lost items to the Void, she had built a huge wall around the edge of the city. The last thing she wanted was for someone to fall to their deth. She knew from a few of Reginald’s reports that some of her people would climb the wall for the view. That’s when she started building a few of thy taller towers. That way the people would have the view without putting themselves in danger.

 

Really, she did things as their leader for a reason! And there were still some that wanted to disobey her laws!

 

She supposed it didn’t matter now. This was the end. This was where she died, and she would do so leaving her city in the hands of a maniac.

 

“So, this is death,” she whispered to herself. “Death is emptiness. Death is Void. Death is…a lake?”

 

Sure enough, Isa opened her eyes to see a small lake beneath her. There was a waterfall to her right, originating from far above her. She could only guess it came from one of the few waterfalls she built in Sky City to provide water for the people. The lake was sizable, surrounded by a sandy beach on all sides. Beyond that was green that might have been grass or trees, but Isa wasn’t paying much attention to that.

 

“Impossible.” She muttered to herself. “That’s impossible!”

 

Instead, her focus was entirely on the lake that appeared to be right beneath her. It also appeared that she was heading right for it.

 

“Maybe I can make it…”

 

It was a rather uneventful free fall from that point forward. Her lips became chapped and her eyes began to water from the wind. She couldn’t hear a thing, given the sounds of buzzing wind blowing past her ears. The water came closer and closer and closer…

 

Isa tried to position herself feet first in order to diffuse the surface tension of the water. However, luck and wind resistance were not on her side. Instead, she found herself tumbling into the water rather than diving.

 

There was only a split second between the moment she hit the water and the moment she lost consciousness.

 

When Isa next came to, she woke to the sun shining brightly behind her eyelids. The smell of grass and oak trees flooded her nostrils, and she thought she heard birds chirping in the distance. This was such a far cry from what she last remembered about falling from Sky City that it was a little shocking.

 

_Where am I?_

 

Isa groaned as she opened her eyes and slowly sat up. She was soaking wet, but had been placed on the warm grass under a tree. It provided enough shade to keep her from getting heatstroke from the sun. The sound of water splashing against sand woke her up completely.

 

She coughed up a little water, but otherwise Isa didn’t think she was badly injured. Nothing felt broken, her fingers were all intact, and she wasn’t sore to the point where she thought she had internal injuries. A slight wind caused a shiver to run down her back, but other than that she felt all right. She wrung the water out of her dark hair.

 

“What is this place?” she said to herself as she glanced around at the forests, mountains, and hillsides in the distance. “What…?”

 

“Oh thank goodness, you’re awake.” Isa turned her head to see the young blonde man from before walk up to her. “I, uh, was starting to get worried.”

 

Milo’s boy? No… “Lukas? What happened?”

 

“Aiden pushed us off Sky City,” he explained, offering a hand to her to help her stand. “I landed in the water and swam to shore. You fell right after me, but you blacked out. I swam out to you and dragged you back here.”

 

She took his hand, moaning a little from a headache as she reached her feet. “You…you saved me?”

 

“Well, I couldn’t just let you drown.” Lukas’ face took on a little flush.

 

“How long…” She coughed. “How long was I unconscious for?”

 

Lukas shrugged. “An hour and a half? Maybe two? I was starting to worry you weren’t going to wake up.”

 

“Thank you, Lukas…” Isa trailed off. “I…I know I haven’t given you any reason to save me.”

 

“You don’t need a reason to help someone,” Lukas corrected her gently, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing away.

 

Properly chastised, Isa continued to look around at the world that was supposed to be the Void. Her mouth seemed to perpetually hang open as she took in the sights.

 

“This…isn’t heaven, is it?”

 

“Pretty sure we’re still very much alive,” Lukas answered. He whistled as he looked around with her. “This place is amazing, isn’t it? Just look at it!”

 

Isa walked over to one of the trees and gently tapped it. Yep, it was a real tree all right. Nothing imaginary about it. The small scrapes on her fingers from the bark proved that well enough. She listened as the breeze rustled through the leaves like a symphony, although it made her quiver in her wet clothes. A small brown cow came walking up to get a drink of water from the lake. It let out a moo as if it didn’t have a care in the world.

 

“I just…can’t believe it,” she whispered. Lukas’ small smile indicated he could still hear her. Isa walked over to the cow and pat its head. “This…has been down here the whole time?”

 

“Guess we were all wrong about the Void, huh?” Lukas reasoned, kicking a small pebble into the water. “Except maybe Jesse. She told us once about how she’d like to explore down here to see if the Void really was a bunch of nothing.”

 

“Yes, she’s mentioned it to me too.” Isa laughed slightly. “I told her not to think about it. That it was too dangerous. A lost cause.”

 

“Well, I think it’s going to be a pretty big deal when we tell everyone about this place,” Lukas mentioned, still smiling. “I mean, look at this place! Totally untouched resources all around us! Think about what we could make with all this!”

 

“Yes…” she agreed quietly. “It’s all a little overwhelming.”

 

Their conversation was immediately interrupted by a zombie falling from the sky, crashing down near them. With the sun being overhead, it was on fire and vanished out of existence when it landed on the ground. Both Lukas and Isa startled at the sight. Glancing up, they saw that there were several more zombies falling, along with a number of skeletons, all of which were burning. One zombie started falling dangerously close to them.

 

“Lukas, look out!”

 

She grabbed the young man by the hand and yanked him out of the way, just in time to avoid the burning undead. Lukas shook his head in surprise.

 

“Thanks.”

 

Isa only gave him a brief nod. Her attention was wholly on the raining monsters. “What’s going on up there?!”

 

“Isn’t it obvious?” Lukas asked. “It’s got to be Aiden. He got his hands on all those eggs. He can make any monster he wants with them.”

 

“Would he really release all these monsters on Sky City?” Isa paused with a snort. “What am I saying? Of course he would! After everything…How could I be so blind?”

 

Lukas narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth. “No, it’s Aiden who’s been so stupid! What does he think he’s doing?!”

 

“I don’t care what it is. He must be stopped! Who knows what he’s going to do to Jesse! And my people are in danger!” Isa yelled. She turned to him. “Lukas, will you please help me get back to Sky City? Stop Aiden?”

 

Lukas put his hands on his hips. “Of course I will. It’s my home too, and there’s no way I’m letting Aiden get his hands on Jesse. Not on my watch.”

 

His blues eyes had the most startling glint in them, which was only emphasized by the reflection of fire from the burning mobs. His lips pressed tightly together, while his fists clenched so hard it would be no surprise if his nails pierced his palms.

 

Isa knew this expression very well. She had seen it on Reginald and she was sure this look had been on her own face many times when she thought about Jesse. It was the face of someone desiring to protect, to shelter, to hold. And he was thinking about Jesse when he acted like this. Any doubt Isa had about this young man’s feeling for her daughter evaporated.

 

“Thank you, Lukas.” She glanced down at her boots, unable to meet his eyes for a moment. She had a lot to make up to this young man. Well, that could start now. “And please, call me Isa.”

 

Now the blonde’s face shifted to surprise, but it lasted only a moment before he became worried again.

 

“There’s just one problem, Isa,” he said. He pointed to the sky with the zombie precipitation. “Sky City’s up there, and obviously we’re all the way down here.”

 

“Oh, there’s something we can do about that,” Isa stated, her voice a little lighter with hope. “Follow me. Time to dig up some dirt.”

 

“Dirt?” Lukas chased after her as Isa headed to a small clearing near the lake. “What’s that for?”

 

“We’re going to tower back up to Sky City,” she explained as she began punching the ground. “It’ll be a long process, but still probably the fastest way to get back up there.”

 

The two dug and dug until their inventories were filled to the brim with dirt blocks. Isa, satisfied with her stash, glanced around to find the best place for them to build their towers. There was a little offshoot at the edge of the lake, fairly close to where one of the small waterfalls landed. She put down a couple blocks in a pile.

 

“Perfect.” She turned to Lukas, who had followed her lead up to that point. “All right. It’s time.”

 

“Time to what?” Lukas asked, confusion clear in his eyes. “What’s this towering thing?”

 

“Have you never towered before?” she inquired in curiosity, but then comprehension dawned on her. She shook her head sadly. “No, of course you haven’t. If you tried and were seen, you would have been arrested.”

 

“We focus more on crafting in Build Club…But I think we need to have this conversation another time,” Lukas suggested. He looked at the stack of dirt blocks she had made. “Ah, I get it now. Yeah, Dad mentioned building straight up before. I’ve never done it though.”

 

“It’s very simple. Just follow my lead,” Isa instructed. “I hope your father taught you how to build quickly.”

 

“Jesse and I have raced when crafting a few times,” he answered. “She’s the fast one, but I bet I can keep up.”

 

“Then let’s not waste another moment!” Isa jumped onto the dirt stack and began towering up. “Just like this.”

 

Lukas caught on as quickly as Isa expected. Perhaps even more so. It was still a little surprising that the young man had never towered before. Even if he did it in hiding, he would have been able to tower at least a few blocks up without being caught by the Guard. On the other hand, maybe he wasn’t able to obtain blocks appropriate for towering. Isa knew she wouldn’t have allocated enough of those resources to make towering possible.

 

A sting went through her mind. _I’ve rejected many of his father’s petitions._ _I didn’t want Milo to waste any more resources._ _How many of those were actually meant for Lukas?_

 

The blonde’s tower passed her quickly, and Isa snapped herself out of her thoughts. That would be another conversation to have with Lukas another time. Right now, she needed to focus on saving her city.

 

And saving Jesse.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how was that finale, huh?
> 
> I’m still looking for input on my next project. The updated choices are in chapter 19.

 

Lukas huffed as he placed block after block under his feet, rising into the sky as quickly as he could. Isa was right behind him. She was going slower due to her slightly more serious injuries she sustained from the fall. He had no idea how high Sky City was, and he could only pray he had dug up enough dirt to make it there. Lukas ignored the rain pouring down on his face as he built.

 

Such repetitive movements usually would make time go by at a snail’s pace. However, Lukas had such focus on his hurry that it seemed like he reached Sky City in no time at all. Once he was roughly on the same level of the city, he placed a few dirt blocks to make a small bridge to the walls. There were only a few doors that led to outside of town, and it was by sheer luck that Lukas and Isa managed to tower up to one. Once he was back on the island, he reached a hand out to help Isa do the same.

 

To his surprise, she took it and squeezed as she hopped from the dirt and onto the island. Lukas didn’t have much time to consider this though. The Founder immediately headed over to the nearby door, threw it open, and rushed inside.

 

Lightning flashed, blinding Lukas for a second before he could look at his city again. The dark thunderclouds kept the sparkle out of the gold blocks that the palace was partly made from. The rest of the buildings seemed to disappear completely, with only faded outlines allowing him to make them out. It certainly didn’t help that the pouring rain muddied his vision.

 

Despite all this, Lukas could tell that many of the buildings and towers had been damaged. Masses of blocks were missing from walls, corners were gone from towers, and decorative pieces were not to be found anywhere. Lukas could see that a few of the taller towers had collapsed completely. A huge chuck from the main palace dome was also missing.

 

Lukas’ jaw dropped open as he saw his home in ruins. There were some places he didn’t even recognize anymore. The Sky City that he knew and grew up in was gone.

 

If Isa’s response was anything to go by, she was feeling the same. Although, since she was the one who pretty much built Sky City from the very beginning, it might have been hitting her a little harder. She took a few steps forward, her eyes wide with horror and anxiety, and fell to her knees.

 

“What have they done?”

 

On a closer level, Lukas glanced around to see that the city garden had been set on fire. Some of it was still burning, while a good portion of it was already burnt to ashes. The small communal pond had been smashed on one side, letting water flow all over the streets. Random blocks from the various buildings were scattered everywhere. It left such a huge mess that he had to climb over all of it to get anywhere.

 

And what was the cause of all this chaos?

 

Well, the shrieking ghasts that were flying around and spitting fireballs everywhere might have played a part.

 

“Look out!” Lukas screamed as he pulled Isa to her feet in time to avoid one of the fireballs. It left a sizable scorch mark where The Founder once sat. “We got to get somewhere safe!”

 

“Where are the people?” Isa wondered as Lukas dragged her to cover behind some rubble. “Have the Ghasts gotten to them? Are there other monsters out there?”

 

“I don’t know,” Lukas answered. He punched the stone of the rubble and cursed. “Wish I had a weapon or something.”

 

Before Lukas could complain further, there was a shrill groan of something not of this world. He looked over his shoulder and saw a greenish body shambling towards him. Behind it were five others of the same kind. They looked human, but one glance at them told Lukas they were definitely not human.

 

“Zombies!” Isa cried out. She pulled out her two swords and slashed at them, popping two of them away.

 

The remaining four zombies continued to approach them, and Lukas backed away. It felt wrong to let Isa, an older woman, defend him against some monsters, but he had nothing to defend himself with. If only he had one of the swords she was using!

 

Isa was able to keep the zombies at bay, but they just kept coming. Isa jumped around and slashed at the monsters as they arrived, switching between fighting the zombies and the flying ghasts.

 

With Isa distracted, Lukas looked around for something, _anything_ , he could use against these monsters.

 

_No way am I going to let The Founder—Isa fight alone!_ He thought. He tried to control his breathing while facing off against creatures that previously only existed in his nightmares. _But I’ve never fought something like that before!_

 

Lukas backed up away from the mobs, but stopped when his back pressed up against something bony and cold. He froze, holding his breath, before slowly turning around. He found himself staring face-to-face with an eyeless visage. The skull groaned at him, and Lukas fell backwards, away from the skeleton and onto his rear. He scooted back as quickly as he could, taking in the sight of the four skeletons approaching him, each with a bow and arrow in their bony grasp.

 

_I can’t dodge an arrow!_ Lukas thought. He could still hear Isa fighting behind him, and chances were she didn’t know he was in trouble. _What am I supposed to do?!_

 

The skeletons all loaded their bows and aimed their arrows at him. Lukas couldn’t stop his body from shaking. His mind was frozen in shock and fear, and his shoulders hunched into his neck. He squeezed his eyes shut and hoped against hope that something would happen that would save him.

 

“Over here, boneheads!”

 

Lukas recognized the deep voice. Even more so, he recognized the giant body that slammed into the skeletons. He opened his eyes to see Axel jumping into them and slicing at them with a sword. He swung at one skeleton while kicking the other one back, making it land in the water and fall down the waterfall to the world below.

 

Axel turned to Lukas and looked at him with wide eyes. “Lukas! Dude! You’re okay! Petra said you were dead!”

 

“We fell off the island,” Lukas said, gesturing to The Founder behind them. “But we came back up.”

 

“Good to see you.” Axel’s face turned back to the zombies coming their way. “But we’ve got a lot of problems here!”

 

“Yeah, no kidding.” Lukas watched as some spiders joined the zombies, hissing as they approached. “Great. More of them coming, and I don’t have any way to fight.”

 

“Here, take this.” Axel tossed his sword to the blond, who gave him a rather unsure look. “Hey, I’m better with my fists anyway.”

 

Lukas shook his head. “Are you sure?”

 

“Don’t believe me? Check this out.” Axel stomped over to two of the zombies, forcing their heads into an arm lock. His face turned a little red as he squeezed with all his might. “And three, two, one…POP!”

 

Practically on cue, the two zombies under his arms burst into dust, leaving behind some rotten flesh behind. Lukas jumped a little at the sight. This man just hugged some zombies out of existence! Who could do that kind of thing? Or for that matter, who would think to even try that kind of thing?

 

Axel seemed rather proud of himself too, as he flexed his upper arms in an impressive stance. “Pretty cool, right?”

 

“Color me impressed,” Lukas admitted, though a tad flatly. He turned back to the remaining mobs. “But we better take care of these now!”

 

With a couple more punches from Axel and a few swipes from Lukas’ sword, they were able to handle the zombies in no time. By this point, The Founder finished off another ghast before joining the young men. She addressed Axel, immediately recognizing the Guard uniform he wore.

 

“Private, what is going on here?” she inquired, her voice urgent.

 

Axel gave her a quick salute. “The city is under attack by monsters, Ma’am. They’re everywhere! They seem to be coming from inside the palace itself!”

 

“Aiden. It’s got to be.” Lukas growled at the thought of his former best friend taking over the palace. “We’ve got to get in there and stop him.”

 

“Lukas, we need to make sure the people are okay,” Isa insisted. “And we need to find out what happened to Jesse.”

 

He paused, worry clouding his mind. “Jesse…Maybe she got out too?”

 

“Come on,” Axel said, waving a hand. “A bunch of us are hiding away from the guards and the monsters. Your dad’s there. Follow me.”

 

“My dad? He’s okay?” Lukas let out a sigh of relief at Axel’s nod. “Is he at one of the safe houses?”

 

“Safe houses?” Isa asked. “You have a safe house? Or rather, more than one?”

 

“We had to have places to hide in case the Guard got on our trail,” Lukas explained. Isa’s expression seemed to be a mix of concern and annoyance. “All right, Axel, where are we headed?”

 

“Not one of your safe houses, actually,” the larger man explained. The trio began running, dodging and hiding from monsters and guards as they came across them. “Aiden told everyone where they all are. They’ve been raided already.”

 

“That was fast,” Lukas muttered, slashing his sword at another zombie. “Where are we going then?”

 

It turned out that Axel was leading them to a neighborhood not far from Milo’s inn. Lukas barely recognized the area as where Olivia’s apartment was located. This was both because of the damage to the city and because he had only been to her apartment one time….the time right after Aiden kissed Jesse. Lukas growled in his chest. He should’ve done something more drastic then. Maybe all this wouldn’t have happened!

 

He had no time for guilt though. Axel, Isa and he managed to reach Olivia’s apartment soon enough. It helped that the door to her home was already inside a building. Monsters were less likely to find them there.

 

Once they reached her door, Axel knocked once, twice, thrice, and then once more. The door cracked open to reveal Olivia’s deep brown eyes. The moment she saw Axel, she threw the door open.

 

“Axel, it’s good you’re back. We—” Her jaw dropped open when she saw who was behind her. “Lukas! You’re okay! What…How?”

 

“I’ll explain later,” Lukas told her as they shared a hug. “What’s going on up here?”

 

“It’s a mess, Lukas! Aiden’s gone crazy!” She let the group into the room, and she finally spotted Isa. “And The Founder?! But you two…I’m seeing things.”

 

“Don’t worry, young lady,” Isa replied. “We are very much real.”

 

Lukas glanced around Olivia’s now crowded apartment. It seemed that anyone who wanted to hide from the monsters rampaging around Sky City were there. There were not only members of Build Club. Regular citizens who had nothing to do with this mess and members of the Guard who must have decided not to go along with Aiden’s coup were there as well.

 

They seemed to take up every place to sit in the small apartment. The couch and chairs were completely full. Anyone who wasn’t lucky enough to have a cushion simply sat on the floor. Lukas didn’t see Olivia’s kitchen or bedroom, but he wouldn’t be surprised if those rooms were filled too. It also didn’t help that the close proximity of so many people raised the temperature in the residence to the point where everyone was sweating, despite (or maybe because of) the cold rainy air outside.

 

One of the guards looked over at them. His eyes widened at the sight of The Founder alive and well…or mostly well, at least.

 

“Founder! You’re alive!” He cried, running to her. Many of the people turned to face the commotion as well. “Aiden told us you were dead!”

 

“I thought I was too, Gabriel,” Isa answered quietly. She cleared her throat and raised her voice. “Report, Lieutenant Gabriel?”

 

Lukas didn’t pay attention to the details that he gave The Founder. Instead, his gaze snapped to the origin of the gasp in his father’s voice. Sure enough, Milo had exited the kitchen and was staring at Lukas with his mouth wide open.

 

“Lukas?” He seemed frozen for a second before he sprinted over to his son. Lukas met him halfway and didn’t hesitate to hug him with all his might. Milo’s arms were tight and warm around Lukas. “I can’t believe it…I thought I lost you too, son.”

 

“Sorry, Dad.” Lukas couldn’t get his voice above a whisper. “Didn’t mean to scare you like that.”

 

Milo gave him one more squeeze before releasing him. He placed both hands on Lukas’ shoulders. “But in all seriousness, how are you alive? I saw you go over the edge!”

 

“It’s a bit of a long story, but the quick version is that the Void is not really the Void,” he described. He shook his head. “I’ll explain later. Dad, what’s going on up here? Where’s Jesse? Is she here too?”

 

“Still in the palace, I think,” the older man answered. “Aiden drove us out. I don’t know what happened to her.”

 

“It seems Aiden drove many people out of the palace,” Isa added, having finished her conversation with Gabriel. “Anyone who didn’t agree with him being leader was evicted.”

 

“And all his followers started throwing those eggs everywhere,” Axel proclaimed. “The city was overtaken by monsters in a matter of minutes.”

 

“The Guard was overwhelmed,” stated Gabriel. “Too many of the men defected to Aiden’s side. Our men couldn’t keep up.”

 

“What about Reginald?” Isa inquired with concern. “What happened to him?”

 

“I’m not sure, Ma’am,” Gabriel admitted. “I haven’t seen him since Aiden threw you off the island.”

 

“None of us have,” Olivia said with a helpless shrug. “He was with Jesse, but that was hours ago. Who knows where either of them are now?”

 

Lukas closed his eyes. “Jesse’s strong. She’ll be okay.”

 

“Lukas…” Olivia had doubt in her tone.

 

“She has to be.” The finality in her friend’s voice stopped Olivia from arguing.

 

“So much for your Guard, huh?” Milo taunted, taking a step towards Isa. “Weren’t they supposed to help protect the people? Seems like they just wanted an excuse to rebel.”

 

“Your illegal builders are the rebellion here, Milo,” Isa disputed, pointing a finger at him. “If you only followed the laws, we wouldn’t be here right now.”

 

“We wouldn’t be here right now if you didn’t make it impossible to do something as simple as crafting some bread!” Milo yelled back.

 

“You can’t talk to The Founder like that!” Gabriel declared, taking a stance next to her.

 

“She’s not really The Founder right now, is she?” Philippe debated, joining the conversation for the first time. “And it was her laws that made it possible for someone like Aiden to take power like he has!”

 

“What does this have to do with anything?” Olivia asked, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

 

Lukas sighed and shook his head in agreement. _We don’t have time to be arguing like this!_

 

His thoughts were interrupted by another set of the secret knock at Olivia’s door. He and Olivia jumped a little at the sound.

 

“Okay, hold on,” she said, her voice drowned out by the arguing group. A few of the other citizens and guards had joined in, increasing the volume even more. “Man, I’m getting a headache.”

 

“You and me both, Olivia,” Lukas moaned.

 

Olivia opened the door to allow Petra inside. Lukas noticed that she had not changed out of her Guard uniform. Considering the state of Sky City and the amount of fighting going on, she probably didn’t have a chance to get back to her own flat, if it was even still standing.

 

“Petra!”

 

The redhead looked at him with a widening smile. “Lukas!”

 

Lukas didn’t care if she didn’t normally hug people. He was going to hug her anyway! After his near death experience, he was going to hug as many of his friends and family as often he could! To his surprise, Petra didn’t seem to reject this behavior at all. In fact, she simply hugged him back.

 

“Man, I can’t believe you’re here!” she shouted, getting everyone else’s attention. “How in the world did you survive that fall?”

 

“I’m going to have to say I’ll explain later a lot of times, aren’t I?” Lukas joked. “Trust me, I’ll tell you later. But there are more important things going on right now. Petra, have you seen Jesse?”

 

The tall woman shook her head. “No. I’ve been scouting the areas around the palace to look for a way in, or see if I could spot Jesse and get her out. No such luck.”

 

Lukas clenched his fists. “We have to get inside the palace. Who knows what Aiden’s doing to Jesse now.”

 

“I don’t even want to think about it,” Petra agreed. She glanced over her shoulder. “Well, I couldn’t find Jesse, but I did find someone else.”

 

“Who?” Lukas moved to look around her. Petra’s tall form had stopped him from seeing the dark-haired man enter the apartment, so Lukas hadn’t noticed him behind her. He squinted his blue eyes. “Wait a minute. Aren’t you Jesse’s tutor?”

 

“That’s right,” the man proclaimed, a little loudly. “You can call me Ivor.”

 

“There was an explosion at the palace,” Petra explained. “This guy flew right by me in the blast. I had to save him from falling off the island.”

 

“I’ll have you know, I wasn’t going to fall off the island,” Ivor replied. His slightly annoyed tone made Lukas doubt he felt that way. “I was a good fifteen feet from the edge.”

 

“Sure you were,” Petra teased. “And having your robes on fire was completely intentional too, huh?”

 

“I was wondering what that bang was,” Olivia said, scratching her chin. “An explosion, you said? At the palace?”

 

“That’s what I said.”

 

“Ivor!” Isa finally stopped arguing with Milo long enough to notice his presence. “Thank goodness you’re all right.”

 

“And you as well, Founder,” Ivor replied, speaking in a more polite tone. “I can’t say I expected to see you again.”

 

“A lot of people feel that way, I assure you,” Milo said with a snarl.

 

Isa glared at him but didn’t reply to him. “Ivor, you were in the palace when an explosion went off?”

 

“More than that, I was in the room where it happened,” he informed them all.

 

“How in the world are you alive?” Lukas asked. “I didn’t think a person could survive an explosion.”

 

“So says the man who came back from the Void,” Ivor jested with a shrug. “Maybe I’m just indestructible!”

 

“Ivor.” Isa clearly wasn’t in the mood for jokes.

 

“Okay, fine. I was in my lab when that Aiden fellow showed up, demanding a potion.” Ivor crossed his arms over his chest. “Naturally, I told him no. When he wouldn’t leave, I activated my defense golem to drive him away. The fool and his friends ended up knocking over one of my brewing stations with a rather…volatile potion. It exploded and knocked me out of the palace.”

 

“What kind of potion did he want?” Isa asked. Lukas could practically feel the dread in her tone.

 

Ivor cleared his throat. “Well, um, he wanted a potion that would…make catching Jesse easier.”

 

“Catching Jesse?” Lukas echoed.

 

“A Potion of Weakness or Slowness, or the like,” Ivor answered.

 

“And you didn’t give him one?” Isa asked.

 

Ivor rolled his eyes at her. “Oh, please. As if I would give him anything that would hurt Jesse.”

 

“So, let me get this straight.” Lukas tapped his forehead in thought. “Aiden wanted something to catch Jesse with. Does that mean he doesn’t have Jesse captured?”

 

“Last time I checked, she wasn’t in his custody,” Ivor reported. “I don’t know where she is now, but I’m fairly sure she’s still in the palace.”

 

“She must be using the secret passages I prepared in advance,” Isa reasoned. She breathed a sigh of relief. “That means she’s safe.”

 

“For now,” Lukas corrected her. “I don’t want to think about what lengths Aiden’s going to find her.”

 

“We need to get back at that creep and rescue Jesse,” Petra said, pumping a fist.

 

“And how do you propose we do that?” Ivor asked her. “Aiden has taken over the palace. He’s holed up in the throne room throwing those spawn eggs everywhere! He’s given his followers free reign to those eggs, and they’re guarding all ways in and out! I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve blocked up that hole my explosion created. Not to mention there are monsters all over the city!”

 

“Any other secret entrances you’d like to share with the rest of us?” Milo goaded The Founder. “Or is that another secret we’re not allowed to know?”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Isa replied, her voice icy.

 

“You kept the truth about the Eversource a secret for so long! No one even knew it was a chicken! And no one even knew you had a daughter! Were you really going to keep that a secret your whole life?” he argued. “And now you talk of secret rooms? What else are you keeping from us?”

 

“And what about you? With your secret Build Club and your safe houses?” Isa shouted. “You cannot lecture me about secrets!”

 

“When your secrets are the cause of everything that’s happened? My only son almost died!” Milo looked like he wanted to punch something, and it was only Lukas holding onto his arm that stopped him from actually doing so. “Don’t tell me you care about the good of the people!”

 

“I put all those laws in place _because_ I care!” She yelled. “And if you recall, it was your behavior that gave Aiden the means to betray me!”

 

“And you were the one who trusted Aiden in the first place!” Milo maintained. “As soon as I learned what Aiden did to Jesse, he wasn’t allowed in Build Club anymore! _You_ were the one who listened to him and let yourself be tricked by him!”

 

By this point, others had joined in the argument as well. The faction that supported The Founder and those who supported Milo shouted back and forth at one another. Gabriel and Philippe were supporting their respective sides as well. There were very few in the apartment that remained quiet about the whole ordeal. The only ones who didn’t join in the quarrel were Lukas, Petra, Axel, Olivia and Ivor. Lukas gave up trying to restrain his father, and stepped back to allow him to yell in Isa’s face.

 

Olivia rolled her eyes. “It’s hard to pick ‘glass half full’ when they keep kicking the glass over.”

 

“As if we didn’t have enough problems,” Petra muttered. “They have to keep fighting like this.”

 

“Don’t look at me,” Ivor said. “I have no idea what they’re thinking.”

 

“Dad! Isa! Now’s not the time to fight!” Lukas tried yelling over the cacophony of voices. “Everyone! Listen to me!”

 

It was no good. Either they didn’t hear Lukas, or they didn’t care to listen. Either way, he wasn’t getting anywhere. Even his own father was too preoccupied with his dispute with The Founder to pay him any attention.

 

Lukas’ shoulders slumped. “Come on…”

 

“Leave this to me, dude.” Axel put a hand on Lukas’ shoulder and pulled him back. He stepped forward and put his index finger and thumb in his mouth, letting out a high-pitched whistle. “Everyone! SHUT UP!”

 

The combined whistle and his boisterous shout finally got everyone’s notice. They all stopped their fighting and looked over at Axel with shock on their faces. Isa and Milo stared at him with slack jaws, astonished that anyone would try to stop their fighting, as if it was their right to do so. Axel gave everyone a glare and then stepped aside to let Lukas speak.

 

“They’re all yours, man.”

 

“Um, thanks Axel.” Lukas let out a nervous chuckle as he faced the huge crowd. He decided to focus his attention on his father and Jesse’s mother. “The two of you are acting like children. Now is not the time to be arguing over what is whose fault. Or am I the only one here who cares about Jesse?”

 

“Hey, we care about Jesse,” Ivor mentioned, but Petra quickly elbowed him in the stomach.

 

“It doesn’t matter how we got where we are. Right now, we need to focus on what’s important,” Lukas lectured. “We need to rescue Jesse and get Aiden out of power. Everything else can wait until after that.”

 

“You’re right, Lukas,” Milo finally agreed after a pause. “But what can we do? Ivor’s right. There’s no way to get in the palace, let alone find out where Jesse is.”

 

“If we take out Aiden, we can make him tell us where Jesse is,” Petra said. “If he doesn’t know and she is hiding, then at least we can make it safe for her to show herself again.”

 

“But how do we even get to Aiden?” Isa asked. “Remember, he has Ben—the Eversource and all her eggs. He can make whatever creature he wants to fight us.”

 

“And only the Guard is allowed to have weapons. Most of us don’t have anything to fight the monsters with,” Milo added, giving Isa another glare.

 

“Do you really think I would give criminals the means to make anything dangerous?” Isa bit back.

 

“Arg!” Petra threw her hands up in the air. “Can’t you guys just…talk about this later?!”

 

Milo turned his face from The Founder at the redhead’s command. Isa folded her arms in front of her waist, giving him a hooded look before looking back at Lukas.

 

“Well, we’re not completely out of options there,” Philippe announced. Everyone turned to him. “I have a secret stash of supplies of my own that I’ve been gathering for years. I bet I have some resources to craft weapons with.”

 

“Since when did you have that?” Milo asked him. “You never told me about it.”

 

“I never told _anyone_ about it,” said Philippe. “I’ve kept it for a rainy day.”

 

“Well, it’s raining now,” Lukas joked. “Can you show us this stash?”

 

“Absolutely!”

 

“So, we can make some weapons, but that still leaves the guards running around,” Olivia voiced. “And how much do you want to bet they’ll have more of those eggs?”

 

“We could fight forever and they would just bring more and more monsters out to play,” Petra concurred. “We can’t fight forever.”

 

“I think I have something that could help with that.” Ivor stepped forward and pulled out three bottles. One was light blue in color, one was grey, and the last was green. “I grabbed these before my lab exploded. We can use them to sneak into the palace.”

 

“Which potions are these?” Lukas didn’t know much about brewing or potion use. He could recall that, according to Jesse, Ivor was some sort of potion expert. Obviously he would have some!

 

“Potion of Swiftness, Invisibility, and Leaping,” the robed man listed. “Of course, I only have these three, so only three people can use them.”

 

“There’s also the problem that potions don’t last very long,” Isa added. “As I recall, these potions will only last three minutes, correct?”

 

“Good memory, Ma’am,” Ivor said. “True, three minutes is the limit.”

 

“There are so many monsters in the city, we could use up that time before we get even remotely close to the palace,” Lukas deduced. “We’d have to get pretty close anyway in order to use them right.”

 

“That’s easy. We just have to provide a distraction,” Axel suggested. “Get the monsters and the guards to focus on some of us so three people to get close enough to the palace to use the potions. That’ll let them get inside.”

 

“Are you volunteering?” Petra asked, stepping up to him. “It could be incredibly dangerous.”

 

“Sure it is, but we’re all in danger right now, aren’t we?” Axel said firmly. “Trust me. I’m the best person for the job.”

 

“Why’s that?” Lukas questioned.

 

“Because Gill and Maya are the ones leading most of the guards around the city,” he responded. “When have they ever passed up the chance to get at me?”

 

“Are you sure, Axel?” Petra put a hand on his arm.

 

“Of course not.” He covered her hand with his and squeezed. “But if this is something I can do to actually help, I’m going to do it.”

 

“And he won’t be alone,” Isa interjected. “I’ll be fighting with him.”

 

“As will I,” Milo said. “A distraction will be better if the guards think a large group of us are attacking the palace.”

 

“Especially if it’s someone like The Founder who has seemingly come back from the dead.” Lukas gave The Founder a smile. “Thank you, Isa.”

 

She looked him directly in the eye. “Lukas, I’m trusting you to keep my daughter safe.”

 

He returned her gaze with just as much intensity. “You know I will.”

 

“Yes,” Isa said with a breathy chuckle. “I do know you will.”

 

There was a significant buzz that went through the crowd as many of the others in the apartment, citizen and guard alike, agreed with this plan thus far. It seemed there were plenty of people interested in defending their city from a tyrant.

 

“Okay, so we have the weapons and the distraction,” Olivia said. “But who’s going to use the potions?”

 

Without hesitation, Lukas stepped up to Ivor and grabbed the grey potion of his hands. “Which one is this?”

 

“Invisibility.”

 

“I’ll take it.”

 

“I’ve got this one,” Petra said, taking the light blue one.

 

“That one’s Swiftness,” Ivor informed her, and the redhead nodded.

 

“Guess that leaves me with this one,” Olivia acknowledged. “Leaping, right?”

 

“That’s right.” Ivor smiled sincerely at her. “You’re a smart one, aren’t you?”

 

Olivia blushed. “I just listen.”

 

“Okay, so here’s the plan.” Lukas turned to address everyone in the room again. “Philippe will show us his secret stash so we can craft as many weapons as we can. Axel and any others willing to provide a distraction will taunt the guards and the monsters away from the palace as best they can. Meanwhile, Petra, Olivia and I will use Ivor’s potions to sneak into the palace and find Jesse…or deal with Aiden, whichever comes first.”

 

“That actually seems like a sound plan,” Milo approved. “But everyone needs to be careful. This is all incredibly dangerous.”

 

“It’ll be worth it,” Lukas declared. “For Jesse.”

 

Everyone in the apartment raised a fist in the air. “For Jesse!”


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here’s a little tidbit I meant to include in the last chapter post, but little scatterbrained me forgot. I just wanted to share part of a review from chapter 20 written by TheAmberShadow, in regard to Ivor’s apparent fall from the palace after the explosion in his lab:
> 
> “Ivor’s going to fall screaming past them at any moment and that mental picture is hilarious!”
> 
> The idea of Ivor falling past Lukas and Isa as they tower back up to the city had my sides hurting from laughter! I wish I had included that somehow! It’s much more creative than what I ended up doing. Unfortunately, I needed Ivor to show up at the big meeting with all the other characters. There should be a Minecraft: Bloopers Mode and include that somehow!
> 
> I’m still looking for input on my next project. The updated choices are in chapter 19.

To Lukas’ surprise, he found himself staring at the hilt of one of Isa’s swords.

 

They had positioned themselves all around the outer perimeter of the palace. This was where most of the traitorous guards remained. They threw spawn eggs to create monsters whenever they felt like it. Ghasts seemed to be their favorite. Despite that, there were plenty of zombies, skeletons, spiders, and creepers around to make everyone nervous.

 

The only good thing about the rubble around the city was that it provided plenty of cover for them to hide. They still had to beat a few mobs every now and then, but for the most part they were able to reach the large crevice that surrounded the palace entrance. Had it been filled with water, Lukas would have called it a moat.

 

Still, he didn’t expect to be in this situation. The group was waiting for one of Aiden’s henchmen to show up before they sprung their plan. In the meantime, Lukas stared at Isa with a perplexed expression as she pointed the hilt towards him.

 

“Really?” he asked. “Are you sure?”

 

“Aiden has access to all the resources we had in the palace, including the weapons stash for the Guard,” Isa explained. “No doubt he will have found the diamond swords by now.”

 

“Swords made of diamond?” Olivia repeated. “Really? You have those?”

 

“They were only for Jesse, Reginald and me to use, but I’m sure Aiden will be keeping one at his side,” The Founder continued. “It would be foolish to think otherwise, and a diamond sword lasts much longer than your iron one. If you end up fighting him, you’re going to need a weapon that can match his.”

 

Lukas looked down from her face at the sword for a moment before slowly taking it. He couldn’t argue with her logic.

 

“I hope it doesn’t come to that,” Lukas said. “Hopefully Aiden will be willing to listen to reason.”

 

“What are the chances of that?” Petra asked him. “He’s way beyond reason by now.”

 

Lukas shrugged. “Guess Jesse’s optimism has rubbed off on me.”

 

“Looks like some of the guards are patrolling again,” Milo whispered, looking over the pile of blocks. “Philippe and I are going over to the other side. We’ll lead the distraction from there. Split their forces in half, so to speak.”

 

“Good idea, Dad,” Lukas agreed. He reached over and gave his father’s shoulder a squeeze. “Be safe, okay?”

 

“And you as well, son.” Milo returned the gesture and smiled. “I will see you on the other side.”

 

Milo and Philippe took a group of the rebels and headed off to the other side of the palace. Lukas turned his attention to Ivor, who was now without anything to defend himself, having given his last three potions to them. Not wanting to leave him unarmed, Lukas pulled the iron sword Axel had given him and passed it to Ivor.

 

“You think I know how to use one of those things?” the older man said deeply.

 

“Yeah, I don’t think this guy does much fighting,” Petra joked, at which Ivor glared at her.

 

Lukas shook his head. He could tell Petra was teasing, but he wasn’t sure if Ivor would take it that way. And now really wasn’t the time for them to start going at each other. Lukas only just got his father and Isa to agree to disagree long enough go through with this plan. He didn’t need another argument on his hands.

 

Thankfully, Axel hushed them for him. “Guys, check it out. Gill and Maya.”

 

The little group looked over their shelter. Sure enough, Aiden’s two little flunkies were walking around, swords in hand, and looking around. They had a couple of other guards with them, and they each sported bags and belts full of eggs. The guards were clearly being more vigilant than either Maya or Gill, who were chatting with each other without a care in the world.

 

“Look at those jerks,” Olivia commented. “Acting like the city isn’t falling apart around them.”

 

“Time to take the fight to them,” Axel said, punching one fist into the opposite palm.

 

Isa stood, pulling out her remaining diamond sword and twirling it in her hand. “I swear, I’m going to tear these traitors limb from limb.”

 

“Take care of yourself out there, Isa,” Lukas warned her.

 

“And to you as well,” Isa answered him. She nodded to Ivor. “Let’s go.”

 

Ivor followed her across the yard and into position. Axel rolled his neck and stood.

 

“Time for a little payback.” He was stopped by Petra’s hand on his. His eyes went wide for a moment before he lifted his gaze to hers. “What’s up, Petra?”

 

“Just…be careful, okay?” She rubbed the back of her neck, which was starting to turn a little pink. “You never know what new tricks Gill and Maya have up their sleeves."

 

“You don’t need to worry about me. I’ve dealt with them pretty much my whole life,” he insisted. He let out a single laugh. “And you’ve kind of helped me be more confident around people who talk down to me. I can handle any monster they throw at me…no pun intended.”

 

Petra still didn’t release his hand. Axel glanced back and forth between her face and their clasped hands.

 

“Uh, Petra? Are you okay?”

 

She squeezed his hand, ignoring him in favor of glaring over at Lukas and Olivia, who were watching them intently. She crinkled her nose at them, apparently rather annoyed at the presence of an audience. Finally, she threw up her hands and turned back to Axel.

 

“Screw it,” she said, and then reached up to pull the tall man down and crashing her lips to his.

 

They remained like that for a good minute or so. Lukas and Olivia stared with wide eyes, eyeing each other uncertainly. The kissing pair ignored them entire. Petra kept her eyes close, while Axel’s seemed to take over his entire head.

 

Finally, she released him. Axel stared at her with a rather stupid smile on his face. He continued to watch Petra as his body tried and failed to turn around. He stumbled over some debris as he moved to follow Isa into the courtyard. His normally deep voice was pitched to a higher octave as he chuckled nervously. He cleared his throat and headed off.

 

Petra watched him go and place himself in front of the patrolling guards. She glanced over at Lukas and Olivia. They were giving her an expression that was some sort of mixture of amusement and surprise. Olivia kept her hand over her mouth, trying to stifle giggles, while Lukas held his sides in a silent laugh.

 

The redhead scoffed at them. “Don’t say it. Don’t even chuckle. Especially you.”

 

Petra pointed a finger at Lukas, who only barely managed to control his laughter. He did remain quiet, as commanded.

 

“Hey, Maya! Gill!” Axel shouted. Lukas looked over the barrier to see the tall man waving his arms around. “Bet you’re feeling on top of the world right now!”

 

To no one’s surprise, the commotion got their attention in no time at all. The brunette pair’s gaze immediately snapped to him, and both Gill and Maya smirked at him. Gill stepped forward and put a loser sign on his forehead, using his thumb and index finger.

 

“Too bad you didn’t choose the right side, huh?” he mocked. “Loser.”

 

“Yeah, maybe you should’ve tried harder to get on Aiden’s good side,” Maya joined in. “But big surprise, you’re not smart enough to have figured that out.”

 

“Brilliant comebacks from these guys,” Olivia muttered.

 

“I think that’s the longest sentence that’s ever come out of Maya’s mouth,” Petra added.

 

Lukas had to bit his lip to stop himself from laughing again, and thus give their position away.

 

Axel, however, wasn’t perturbed at all, which Lukas had to admit was a bit of a surprise, but in a good way. He flexed his arms, making himself look even bigger.

 

“But I’m still here though!” He announced. It would seem that Axel felt more confident and loud after receiving Petra’s attentions. “You’d think you would’ve caught me already, if I was such a loser!”

 

That simple taunt got under Gill’s skin, and he pulled his sword out and waved it in a threatening manner. “That can change real quick!”

 

“Even if he has reinforcements?” Everyone’s heads turned to see Isa walking up to the crevice, with Ivor right behind her. She glared at the pair and the guards standing with them. Lukas had to look closely, but he could see their knees shaking. “I do not take kindly to traitors. Stand down now, or I will show you how I deal with people like you.”

 

Gill’s mouth dropped open while Maya started stuttering. “You’re, you’re, but you’re dead! Aiden threw you off the island! How is this—”

 

“Perhaps I am more resourceful than you expected,” Isa sneered, flashing her blade against the rain. “Now it’s time to see if you will follow through with your threats.”

 

Gill shook his head and snickered. He looked over his shoulder at the other guards, who were simply staring at The Founder with disbelieving eyes.

 

“Don’t just stand there!” he commanded. “Get them!”

 

“Boom!” Maya shouted, throwing an egg at Axel’s feet, instantly spawning a spider. “Egg!”

 

A fight broke out in no time. Isa maintained the line the most, being the most experienced fighter there. Axel and Ivor were able to hold their own fairly well, even against the skeletons being spawned in front of them. Ivor seemed more anxious about the whole thing, but that didn’t stop him from giving a few blows to the nearby creeper. He jumped out of the way of the imminent boom, shouting as he covered his head.

 

“I don’t need any more explosions!!” he hollered. “Thank you!”

 

There was the sound of another bang in the distance, far enough that no debris showered the group but still close enough that they felt the swell of the explosion. Lukas took a glace in the direction it came from. He could hear screaming in his father’s voice, but it wasn’t a painful scream. It was one of releasing pent up rage and frightening the enemy. Lukas smiled at his remaining two friends.

 

“That would be Dad,” he said. “And that’s our cue.”

 

“Remind me to congratulate Axel on his standing up to his bullies,” Petra said. “They’ve been jerks to him for long enough.”

 

“I think he’s fine,” Olivia stated, shrugging one shoulder and listening to Axel continue to taunt Gill and Maya. “That little public display of affection gave him the boost that he needed.”

 

“Yeah, you should do that more often,” Lukas suggested, smirking at his best friend and ignoring how her face began to match her hair. “I think you’re getting a little soft, Petra?”

 

“Oh, shut it.”

 

Giving them one last glare, Petra quickly drank the light blue potion in her hand. Having the Potion of Swiftness, neither Lukas nor Olivia saw her sprint out of their sight, leap over the crevice, and head straight for the front gates of the palace. They did feel the gust of wind that went with her, but beyond that it was as if Petra just disappeared into thin air.

 

Olivia smiled and drank her own potion. Hers was the Potion of Leaping. This gave her the ability to leap from her hiding spot straight over not only the crevice, but also over the guards, rebels and monsters standing in her way. She landed with a boom, and for a moment Lukas was worried that she would be spotted and attacked. He needn’t have worried though, as Olivia immediately jumped again. She was able to bypass the fighting by staying airborne. Soon enough she was also at the palace gates, standing right next to Petra.

 

“Guess it’s just me now.”

 

With that Lukas closed his eyes and downed his grey potion in one gulp. It felt like he had swallowed a large bug, or maybe a spider, along with soggy carrots and some kind of plant his tongue didn’t recognize. He grimaced at the taste and nearly spat it out. It was only the knowledge that he really needed the Potion of Invisibility’s effects that kept him from doing so.

 

Half a second later, Lukas looked down at his hand. He knew he was moving his fingers and he could feel the air around them, but he couldn’t see them at all. Glancing down at the rest of his body, Lukas could see, or rather, not see himself at all. His body was completely gone!

 

“Now that’s more like it,” he whispered, trying to keep his voice down to maintain the illusion of having disappeared.

 

Lukas probably had the hardest time getting over the crevice. He thanked the stars it didn’t go all the way through the bottom of the island. He was able to slide down it, reach the base, and then slowly and carefully climb up the other side. The stones and dirt that were displaced by his steps weren’t invisible, but that was part of the reason his friends and family were acting as a distraction. Once Lukas reached the top of the crevice on the other side, he looked over his shoulder at the battle. Everyone was too busy to even notice that anything had gone amiss. He smiled and waved at Isa, but then remembered she couldn’t see him. He turned back to the palace.

 

“Only three minutes,” he reminded himself, and he took off running.

 

Of course, Lukas was the last one to arrive at the palace gates. By this point, Petra’s potion had worn off, which meant that Olivia’s was not far behind. They were already waiting for him at the palace entrance. Petra had her sword out and Olivia had an arrow drawn in her bow. Lukas waved his own weapon.

 

“Ready, ladies?” he asked. They both nodded. “All right! Let’s go!”

 

With that, the trio found themselves in the perpetual labyrinth that was the Sky City Palace. The outside of the palace was so precise and so immaculate on the outside, with its bright gold blocks and perfect dome. Truthfully, Lukas never thought it would be such a mess inside. Halls and rooms weaved each and every way imaginable, including up and down a few small flights of steps. The worst part was that, to him at least, it all looked alike. The few paintings and tapestries hung on the walls didn’t help him familiarize himself. Everything looked the same to him!

 

“Who’s bright idea was it to make this place so complicated?” Lukas couldn’t help but groan. “Why isn't this considered an ‘egregious waste of resources’!”

 

“Good thing you’ve got me, huh?” Petra joked.

 

Lukas chuckled. If Petra hadn’t joined the Guard and become accustomed to walking about the palace…well, that was just luck on their part.

 

“Think we’re going to run into any monsters in here?” Olivia wondered aloud.

 

“Keep your eyes peeled,” Petra replied. “Just in case.”

 

Almost as if on cue, when they arrived at a four-way intersection, Lukas saw the flash of a swinging sword from a side hall. He lifted his sword in time to parry the attack, but he stumbled back from the blow. The sword came down again, but this time it was Petra’s sword that blocked it.

 

“Look out!” she yelled, a little too late, but Lukas was unharmed and that was all that mattered. She looked up from the hilt of her sword into a pair of dark eyes covered by pale cyan hair. “Mevia?!”

 

“And here I thought you wouldn’t show your face here again, Petra,” Mevia replied, a smirk scribbled across her face. She jerked her sword, forcing the redhead to step back. “We’ve got some fighters here, Hadrian!”

 

“Aiden warned us about keeping intruders out of the palace.” Olivia spun around, aiming her bow down the opposite hallway as Hadrian walked into view. He held his own sword made of diamond, jutting it towards Lukas. “Can’t say I expected to see you again, chump.”

 

The blonde narrowed his eyes at the older man. “You were hoping I was dead, weren’t you?”

 

“You’ve made life very difficult for us, buddy,” Hadrian answered with a snarl. “But you know what they say: revenge is best served cold.”

 

With that, Hadrian drew up his sword and rushed at Lukas. He held up his own sword in preparation to deflect the attack. It turned out he didn’t need to worry about it. Just moments before Hadrian reached arm’s length, there was a whirl in the air. Hadrian screamed as an arrow embedded itself into his arm. Lukas jumped back, out of range of Hadrian’s sword.

 

Rather than continue his assault on Lukas, Hadrian snapped his gaze to Olivia, who was preparing another arrow in her bow. She drew it back and fired again. This time, Hadrian dodged, but the arrow still forced him to step back, or else he would’ve gotten an arrow in the knee.

 

“That’s for my glowstone dust!” she hollered, in a rather non-Olivia-like way. She readied another arrow and glanced at Lukas over her shoulder. “Keep going! Find Jesse!”

 

“She’s right!” Petra called, swinging her sword against Mevia’s and talking to Lukas with perfect multitasking skills. “We’ll take care of this!”

 

“Aw, isn’t that cute, Hadrian?” Mevia mocked. “She thinks they can take us on.”

 

“Time for a wake-up call, kiddos.”

 

Hadrian ran for Olivia this time, but she was too quick for him. She dodged out of the way and leased another arrow, this time aiming for his chest. He had to press himself against the wall to avoid it. Petra, meanwhile, saw an opening in Mevia’s defenses and gave her a solid kick in the chest, knocking her back.

 

“What are you waiting for, Lukas?!” Petra shouted at him. “The throne room is down that hall! Alternate left and right until you get there!”

 

Lukas glanced back and forth between the two women. Between Petra’s swordsmanship and Olivia’s aim, they seemed to be able to hold their own.

 

He nodded before taking off down the fourth hallway. “Take care of yourselves!”

 

Lukas’ steps echoed in the palace halls. As the echo faded, Petra dodged another of Mevia’s swings. The older woman’s sword became embedded in the wall where two of the hallways met. This bought Petra a little time to regain her footing.

 

“You doing okay, Olivia?”

 

“I’m having a blast!” She shot another arrow, forcing Hadrian to jump back again. With each arrow she fired, he was forced farther and farther down the passage. “I’ve got years of frustration to work out! Hadrian’s not going anywhere!”

 

Petra couldn’t help but let out a snigger and faced her opponent again. “Hear that, Mevia? It’s just you and me!”

 

Lukas could hear Petra’s telltale battle cry as he sprinted down the halls, trying his best to stay oriented in relation to the throne room. A few more hallways later, Lukas felt he was no closer to it than he was when he was separated from Petra and Olivia. He looked around, taking in the same bland walls, same straight corners, and same egg paintings everywhere. Although the egg theme made since in relation to the Eversource, Lukas felt like he never wanted to see an egg again.

 

“Isa, if we get through this,” he grumbled, hoping he didn’t go in a circle and end up meeting his friends again rather than the throne room. “I’m never letting you build anything this big ever again without supervision. This is absurd!”

 

He kept going left and right as Petra instructed, and after several twists and turns he slowed his dash to a stop. Before him were the double doors that he now recognized as the ones leading to the throne room. Lukas let out a huge sigh of relief before he pushed them with all his might, opening them as quickly as he could.

 

_Made it,_ he thought. _That was lucky!_

 

“Back down and get out of my face, Reggie!” Lukas instantly identified Aiden’s distinct tone, and he readied his sword. “I won’t tell you again!”

 

“You’re delusional, Aiden!” That was Reginald. “The people of Sky City will never bow to you! You killed The Founder!”

 

Once inside the room, Lukas spotted Reginald sitting on the floor next to the throne. His hands were tied behind his back, while he looked up at the seat with a snarl. Of course, it was obvious why he was doing that. Aiden sat on the throne, leaning back with his feet propped up on the left armrest. Next to him, tied on a leash and held down with Aiden’s foot, was the Eversource. She clucked helplessly as she flapped her little wings. Lukas’ eyes narrowed at the scene.

 

“Yeah?” Aiden barked. “Well, you’re going to be next if you don’t shut up!”

 

“Now you listen here!” Reginald protested, still yelling. “I’m the Captain of the Guard! You can’t just talk to me that way!”

 

“I’ll talk to you however I want, Reggie!”

 

Aiden stood and gave Reginald a good kick in the side, knocking him off the steps leading to the throne. The Eversource clucked as Reginald grunted from the impact of his shoulder against the floor. Aiden’s foot lifted off the chicken’s leash, allow the Eversource to flap away from the throne.

 

Lukas has seen more than enough, and he took a step forward. “Hey! Leave him alone, Aiden!"

 

Aiden jumped at his voice, his eyes shifting from Reginald to Lukas. He stood at the top of the throne, his eyes wide and his nostrils flared. His hands balled into fists and he lifted them as if he was ready to punch something.

 

“Lukas?! How can—” Lukas could hear him practically hissing through his teeth. “I saw you fall! You went down!”

 

Reginald looked up from his place on the floor and gasped. “You’re alive? You’re alive! Is The Founder with you?”

 

Aiden finally decided to take his rage out on Reginald. Pulling a green and black egg out of his inventory, he tossed it right at the back of the Captain’s head. Being on the floor with his hands tied behind his back, Reginald wasn’t able to move away in time to avoid it. Reginald yelped as the egg cracked against him, spawning a black and green creature on top of him. Lukas recognized it as the one Aiden had spawned in the basement, and recalled Jesse’s words about it.

 

_“Creeper!_ _Lukas!_ _Watch out!_ _They explode!”_

 

He didn’t have a chance to react however. The creeper exploded a mere second later, knocking him farther from the giant chair. The Eversource scampered over to him and pressed her beak against his cheek in an attempt to wake him up.

 

“Reginald!” Lukas cried. His attempt to go help the older man was halted by Aiden’s next yell.

 

“Not one more step!” Lukas narrowed his eyes at his former best friend. Aiden bared his teeth, and Lukas felt like punching them out of his mouth. “How in the world are you still alive? No one survives falling into the Void!”

 

“Guess I’m full of surprises,” Lukas announced. He took a few steps towards the throne. “Where’s Jesse?”

 

Aiden let out a howl of laughter. “Like I would let you anywhere near her now.”

 

_He doesn’t know, just like Ivor said,_ Lukas thought. He shook his head and pointed his sword towards his ex-friend. “Aiden, you’re done. This is where it ends.”

 

“I killed you once, Lukas,” he screamed, bringing out his own blade. “I can do it again!”

 

“Not this time!”

 

Aiden leapt down from the top of the throne, bringing his sword down towards Lukas from above. Rather than try to block the attack, Lukas rolled out of the way and counterattacked. Aiden easily blocked it, forcing Lukas to take several steps back. With another push, the brunette was able to push Lukas farther until he was pressed against a wall. Aiden’s sword came down again, and Lukas was barely able to duck away. The diamond sword let out a reverberating clang that flew through the entire room.

 

Lukas was on the defensive. The only experience fighting he had was the occasional sparring he did with Petra, and even then she would always win. She was the one who should be fighting this battle, not Lukas. He couldn’t recall a time Aiden got any kind of training, especially enough to be pushing Lukas as much as he was. When did he learn to fight like this?

 

“Give it up, Lukas,” Aiden mocked. He sideswiped his sword, cutting Lukas at his chest. “I’ve always been the better fighter—no, the better _man_ than you!”

 

The sword ripped through Lukas’ shirt, superficially slicing his skin underneath. He hissed at the feeling. Putting his hand up to his chest, he felt a small amount of blood smear onto his palm. It distracted him long enough to allow Aiden a chance to swing up and practically throw his sword down on him. Lukas watched as the blade came down…

 

But instead of feeling a sword crash onto his head, Lukas heard the sound of a pig squealing.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I am so sorry for the long wait! I wanted to post this ages ago! But work and school makes life difficult. Darn you, responsibilities!
> 
> So, after reading this, I’m sure most of you will think there is only one more chapter left. Well, you would be incorrect. :) There will in fact be an epilogue after that chapter, so there are two more posts after this one. Hopefully I will be able to have them out sooner rather than later.

 

“Hey Jesse! Check it out!”

 

Jesse looked over her shoulder. At the scene, she turned around completely with a smile. There stood Lukas, his bright blonde hair shining in the sun. He held up a beautifully crafted beacon in his hands. He placed it on the ground, letting the beam shoot up into the bright blue sky above. The only thing brighter than the beam was his own grin.

 

“I finally got the recipe right for a beacon!” he declared, spreading his arms out wide.

 

“That’s so great, Lukas!” Jesse gave him a tight hug. “I knew you’d get it!"

 

“And an impressive beacon it is.” Isa walked up to the pair and put a hand on each of their shoulders. “This will make it easier for people on other islands to find us.”

 

“We can keep everyone safe this way,” Jesse said.

 

“I’m glad you suggested changing the laws, Jesse,” Isa commented. She glanced around at all the people who were happily crafting whatever they wanted. “I’ve never seen the people so joyful.”

 

“But it’s good to have some supervision so no one gets hurt,” Lukas added. “Just not so much that it oppresses anyone.”

 

“Yeah.” Jesse closed her eyes and let the sun hit her face. “It’s good that everyone’s getting along now.”

 

“Too bad it’s too late for us,” Isa said all of a sudden.

 

Jesse looked at her with raised eyebrows. “What do you mean, Mother?”

 

“Lukas and I,” the older woman answered. “We’ll never see this Sky City.”

 

“What?”

 

“We’ve already fallen,” Lukas said.

 

The city around them vanished, along with the ground beneath their feet. Jesse watched as Lukas and her mother both fell away from her, down towards the darkness that was the Void. They both let out loud screams that echoed against the clouds as they plummeted.

 

Jesse wasn’t falling with them. Instead, she floated in the air like a bird, completely safe and unaffected by gravity. She reached out her hands, hoping against hope she would be able to catch them and pull them back up. Even as slow as her loved ones seem to fall, Jesse wasn’t quick enough to grab them.

 

“No!”

 

Jesse’s eyes snapped open. The chill of the stone against her back disappeared as she leaned forward, reaching her hands out like she did in her dream. She gasped and let out a small cough. Rubbing her eyes, Jesse tried to recall what happen. She heard Reuben oinking beside her, and she glanced down to see his worried face.

 

Panting, she slowly put a hand on Reuben’s head. “A dream. It was just a dream.”

 

But she knew, it wasn’t a dream. Lukas really had fallen off the island, followed very shortly by Isa. Aiden has pushed them, all in the effort of taking over the city. And for what? Because he was jealous. Because of that petty emotion, Jesse had lost everything. Her mother, her boyfriend, her friends, her home, her freedom…everything was gone. Ripped away from her in a single day.

 

Jesse slammed her head against the wall behind her. _How did I let all this happen?_

 

There was a bang and a shriek, making Jesse jump. Reuben let out a loud squeal and started running in circles, panic taking over his tiny body. Jesse stood up in time to hear the rumblings of another shriek.

 

“Wait, I know that sound.” It wasn’t something she had often heard in her life. The first time she had heard it, as a child, she knew she would never forget it. “That was a ghast. What’s going on?”

 

In spite of his human’s comforting pets, Reuben could only give her a scared and perplexed look. Without any windows or doors, it was impossible to know what was happening beyond the dark corridor they hid in.

 

“We better check it out,” Jesse said in a whisper, and Reuben quietly oinked in reply.

 

She walked over to a small doorway in the hall, covered by what she knew was just a portrait of something. Reaching out a hand, she paused. Being literally inside the walls of the palace was her safeguard. Isa had built these tunnels for this kind of emergency, to keep Jesse safe. No one else knew about them. The chances of Aiden (or anyone, for that matter) finding her in there were slim to none.

 

Jesse knew she couldn’t hide forever though, and she really didn’t want to. She had been locked up for nearly her entire life. Staying hidden away wasn’t so different, other than never seeing the outdoors or other people again. Her gilded cage had been bad enough.

 

She placed a hand on the wood of the portrait back. Despite these thoughts, part of Jesse didn’t want to leave the dark corridor either. Going outside meant she had to face reality, face the fact that she was alone in the world once again, only this time it was even worse. While before she had been ignorant, his time around she knew what she had lost. Lukas and her mother were gone, Ivor was gone, probably falling to his doom in the Void as well, and Reginald was captured. Who knew where Petra and the others were? Going outside meant facing what happened and dealing with it.

 

 _I don’t know if I can,_ she thought, letting out a deep sigh.

 

 _Never took you for a coward, Jesse._ She could almost hear Lukas teasing her. To her surprise, this thought managed to bring a tiny laugh from her mouth.

 

“Now’s not the time to be afraid,” Jesse told herself, and she pushed the painting forward.

 

The palace halls were dark. There wasn’t anyone around to light any of the lamps or torches that lined the ceiling. No light came from the windows either. This normally would indicate the hour of sunlight, but Jesse was pretty during it was daytime now. She felt rested enough that she was pretty sure she had slept for at least an hour or two.

 

Stepping out of the hidden passage, Reuben right behind her, Jesse made her way to the closest window. It did seem to be day, but the dark clouds and falling rain gave the sky a gloomier appearance. But even without the sun, Jesse could see what was going on, and she gasped.

 

Many of the city buildings had crumbled to the ground. A few areas were on fire, in spite of the rain. Meanwhile, the communal pond had turned into a shallow lake and was running over the sides of the island. Jesse was so accustomed to seeing the sharp and pristine buildings and streets of Sky City. To see it in such shambles was a complete shock to her system. She stepped back to take a breath before trying to make out some of the details of the city.

 

The heavy water droplets on the glass made it hard to make out, but Jesse could see a few small forms running around in clear panic. Although they were few and far between, the people were still being targeted by what could only be mobs that had been released from Benedict’s eggs. The white forms of ghasts flew around and spat fire at anything that moved, and zombies shuffled futilely after the fleeing people. A couple of spiders climbed up and down the remaining buildings. Creepers, meanwhile, hissed right before they exploded and created more rubble.

 

Jesse put a hand up to her mouth. Her home was completely in ruins!

 

“Aiden.” The answer of what had happened was obvious. She glared at a ghast that flew a little too close to her window. “He’s gone completely crazy!”

 

Reuben squealed, both at his human’s outburst and at the sight of the monsters everywhere. He glanced at Jesse, wondering what she was going to do. Jesse was looking at her hands, glaring at them with narrow eyes.

 

“This is my fault,” she muttered. “I didn’t stand up to Aiden when I needed to. All this is because of me.”

 

Reuben let out a small cry and rubbed his head against her leg. It was a small comfort, but it seemed to snap her out of her self-pity. Jesse fisted her hands and looked out the window again at her city.

 

“No. I have to do something,” she growled. “Lukas wouldn’t want me to just give up. He’d want me to keep going, no matter what.”

 

She turned sharply to Reuben, and she placed her hand on his head.

 

“And Mother was right about one thing. With her gone, I’m in charge of Sky City, and it’s my responsibility to protect my people.” Jesse straightened up, pulling her pickaxe out of her inventory. “Aiden’s going to keep hurting them until he finds me. I have to do something to stop him, and that means facing him head on.”

 

With a spin of her heel, Jesse began to make her way down the halls. “He’s going to be in the throne room. And if not, I can wait for him there.”

 

Before Jesse was able to take more than a few steps, the familiar feeling of a wet snout pressed against her fingers. Jesse looked down to see Reuben watching her with wide eyes. She shook her head.

 

“Sorry, Reuben. You can’t come with me,” she said. “Not this time.”

 

Well, that statement didn’t sit to well with the pig. Reuben glared, crumpling his nose with a grunt. She kneeled down to him and smiled, a sad smile that didn’t reach her sleepy eyes.

 

“I don’t want to lose you,” she murmured to him. “You understand?”

 

Reuben gave a quiet oink and a nod. He understood all too well.

 

“You’re all I have left, Reuben. If something happened to you…”

 

The little swine oinked again. He stepped in front of her, blocking her path, and stomped his front hooves. Like she said, Reuben was the only one Jesse had left. No way was he going to abandon her now. Friends didn’t do that. They stuck with each other through thick and thin, regardless of species difference.

 

He stomped his feet once more, and Jesse actually chuckled. “Yeah, I know. I…Just…run at the first sign of trouble, okay?”

 

Reuben snorted in response. Jesse didn’t need to know about that little fib.

 

Jesse glanced at her stone pickaxe in her hand as she made her way down the halls to the throne room. This was the only weapon she had. Chances were Aiden and his goons had pilfered the weapons storage that Reginald kept for the Guard. Even if there was a single weapon left in there, what were the chances she could reach it without having to fight anyway?

 

It was quite a choice. Either take her chances with her stone pickaxe against Aiden (and anyone else he had with him). Or take her chances of fighting more battles in order to reach the armory, which may or may not have anything she could use.

 

“No. No more waiting,” she said firmly. “I’m not going to let Aiden do any more damage than he already has.”

 

With that, she took the corner that would lead her to the throne room. Reuben galloped right behind her, his hooves echoing against the iron walls.

 

It took very little time for the two friends to reach the throne room’s double doors. To Jesse’s surprise, they were already partly open. This allowed Jesse to peek into the room before she actually went inside.

 

Far to the right was Reginald, tied up and appeared to be unconscious. Benedict stood with him, flapping her wings and clucking. She seemed to be trying to wake him up, but to no avail. There was a black scorch mark on the ground, along with a few missing blocks from the decorated floor. Jesse immediately recognized these as signs of a creeper having exploded there.

 

 _That’s obviously Aiden’s work,_ she thought. _Creeper eggs are one of the most dangerous to use._

 

Turning her head to the left, Jesse couldn’t help but drop her jaw at the sight before her. Locked together in one-to-one combat were Lukas and Aiden. The latter undoubtedly had the upper hand, pushing and slamming his sword against Lukas’ with strong blows. He was able to push the blonde against a wall, but Lukas was quick enough to dodge in time and roll away. He backed up a little, but Aiden immediately spun around and continued his assault.

 

“Lukas…” Jesse whispered, all breath having escaped her as she watched the blonde fight. “He’s alive…”

 

Jesse felt like she could fall to her knees in relief. The possibility that she was hallucinating didn’t even cross her mind. Lukas was there! He was alive and breathing and moving!

 

And fighting with Aiden!

 

Aiden swiped his sword against Lukas, slicing him across his chest. Lukas fell to the ground and crawled backwards as he held a hand up to his bloodied shirt. He looked up as Aiden raised his sword, looking ready to bring it down.

 

“No!” Jesse’s voice was still raspy as she rushed forward, bringing her pickaxe to the front.

 

Reuben, however, was a faster runner than Jesse, and he reached the dueling men first. He released a battle cry (which really was just a loud squeal, but it was a battle cry for a pig) as he lowered his head and slammed right into Aiden’s stomach. Aiden let out an undignified grunt, lowering his sword and crossing his arms across his abdomen. This gave Jesse the opportunity to place herself between him and her boyfriend. She brandished her pickaxe and parried Aiden’s next blow.

 

Aiden snarled as his sword was blocked, pressing hard against the sudden appearance of another rebel. Who would dare try to fight him, against the diamond sword he took, with something as pitiful as a stone pickaxe?

 

His answer came in the form of green eyes that burned like torches. “Jesse?!”

 

“You better back off, Aiden.”

 

Without a second thought, Jesse shoved Aiden away with her foot. This came as such a surprise to him that Aiden dropped his sword. He looked up at her, as he lay sprawled against the steps at the base of the throne. She breathed heavily through her nose as she approached him, ready to stab him in the face with the sharp end of her pick.

 

Aiden was not completely without something up his sleeve though. He gave out a loud roar as he tossed an orange and yellow-spotted egg at the ground. The shell blew apart, and with a puff of smoke came a floating yellow head and several yellow rods. The entire creature was engulfed in flames, and the heat of the room increased dramatically with its presence.

 

Jesse had to step back to avoid the blaze’s flying tackle, allowing Aiden the opportunity to dash behind the throne. He took refuge on the small outcrop of land that stuck behind it, grabbing his sword on his way. Jesse growled.

 

“Get back here, you coward!”

 

The blaze blocked her way, spitting three fireballs in her direction. Jesse rolled out of the way of the flames, and the two spun around to face each other. Thankfully, Jesse was much faster than the blaze. With a sharp bend of her knees, she was able to leap up and bring down her pickaxe onto the blaze, slicing right through it.

 

The blaze fell to the ground and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Unfortunately, it was the final strike the pickaxe could take. It also vanished from Jesse’s hands, a small wisp being all that was left. Jesse cursed, but she immediately forgot about it when her eyes fell on Lukas again.

 

There was only a moment of pause before the pair immediately ran to each other, clinging to each other as tightly as their arms would allow. When Jesse pulled back, all she did was place her hands on Lukas’ cheeks. Upon seeing her glossy eyes, Lukas covered one of her hands with his own and pressed his lips against her palm. They shared a reassured smile.

 

“I thought you were dead…” Jesse whispered.

 

“I thought I was too.” Lukas’ voice was just as quiet.

 

A sudden thought crossed her mind, and Jesse kicked herself for not asking about it sooner. “What about…Mother?”

 

“She’s okay,” he answered. “She’s fighting the monsters in the city right now.”

 

With another sigh of immense relief, Jesse pressed her forehead against his chest. She listened to his heartbeat, relishing in the fact that she could hear it.

 

Their moment was interrupted by the painful groan coming from behind Lukas. Jesse looked over the blonde’s shoulder, spotting Reginald as he started to rouse. Reuben and Benedict were with him, nudging him with their feet in an attempt to wake him.

 

Jesse finally became aware of their situation again, and her back stiffened. She pulled away from Lukas, turning in the direction Aiden had fled in. She clenched her fists and started walking that way. She was barely able to keep her feet from stomping holes into the floor. Every fiber of her being told her to throw Aiden off the island.

 

_See how he likes it!_

 

A hand on her shoulder momentarily stopped her. Jesse almost wanted to snap at Lukas for keeping her even a moment from exacting some revenge on Aiden for everything he had done. Only her relief that Lukas was alive gave her enough patience to keep her from baring her teeth.

 

In truth, Jesse didn’t need to worry about Lukas actually stopping her. Rather, he held out his diamond sword to her. He pressed it against her palm, waiting until she enclosed her fingers around the hilt before he let go. Jesse looked up to see a confident smile on his visage.

 

“Kick his butt.”

 

Lukas backed up a step, out of the way for Jesse to head to Aiden. She took a deep breath and nodded.

 

“Will you check on Reginald?”

 

“Will do.”

 

With that, Lukas joined the oinking pig and clucking chicken as Reginald continued to groan and rub his head. That creeper explosion clearly took a lot out of him. Jesse watched her boyfriend go before returning her attention to the task at hand.

 

Aiden was waiting for her on the bit of island behind the throne. He had built a few blocks of dirt out into the cloudy sky, creating a bridge leading to nothing. He held his sword lowered at his side. His face was pointed at the ground, but his eyes faced forward to look at Jesse from under his upper eyelids. She could see he was breathing a little heavily, which was odd considering he hadn’t exerted himself recently.

 

Jesse slowly walked forward, ignoring the rain as it soaked her hair and clothes. She had her eyes on Aiden and nothing else. In contrast to him, her breathing was slow and smooth, allowing her to keep a clear head.

 

 _Stay focused._ She slowly breathed out of her mouth. _This is just like in training with Reginald._

 

Once she was a mere three meters from Aiden, she stopped, giving Aiden one last chance to show some remorse for his actions. Just one bit. One little bit.

 

But it seemed that was not to be. Aiden looked up at her with a creased nose.

 

“It wasn’t supposed to be this way, Jesse,” he barked, holding a clenched fist in front of him. “This was supposed to be our world. Together! I did this all for us! You and me, ruling together! And you ruined it!”

 

“Listen to yourself! That’s insane!” Jesse argued. “You got people thrown in jail! You tried to kill Lukas and my mother! You let your people release all kinds of monsters all over the city! Who knows how many more people have been hurt or killed?! Do you really think that would all be something I’d want?!”

 

“Was it too much to ask to win something for once?!” Aiden hollered. “I was supposed to be the top builder in Build Club! I was supposed to The Founder’s right hand! I was supposed to win you!”

 

Jesse couldn’t help but shake her head at his logic. “Aiden, this isn’t about who wins and who loses. It’s about what’s right.”

 

“Then I’m going to make it right.” Aiden pointed his sword towards her, a toothy smirk on his face.

 

Jesse lifted her blade as well. The two paused for an instant before Aiden narrowed his eyes and rushed forward. Jesse met him halfway across the dirt crag just in time to block Aiden’s sword as it came down towards her. He swung a second time with a long grunt, and then thrust the sword towards Jesse’s chest. It was painfully obvious that it didn’t matter to him anymore who his opponent was. Aiden wasn’t going to hold back in this duel.

 

Jesse easily dodged to the side, which also put her in a clear position to block Aiden’s backswing that followed. She lifted her sword, flinging Aiden’s above their heads. This forced Aiden’s center of balance behind him, and he stumbled backwards.

 

 _Keep your feet spread,_ Jesse reminded herself. _Solid footing._ _Remember training._

 

By the time Aiden recovered, it was Jesse’s turn to be on the offensive. She brought her sword over her head and then down onto his. He managed to block her attack, but rather than a full parry, Aiden’s blade was knocked to the side. She echoed his motions with a backswing of her own, forcing Aiden’s sword to go the other way.

 

With another overhead blow, Jesse was able to throw off his balance again. Aiden swayed on the bridge, barely missing the edge, and landed backwards on his rear. His eyebrows furrowed with worry, but he swiftly flipped back onto his feet and swung his sword again.

 

Jesse was on a roll. She blocked his next attack, along with the one after that, with nothing more than a flick of her sword arm. She didn’t even have to put much force into her blows. Aiden was so angry that it was distracting him from making meaningful strikes.

 

 _Wait for the right opening,_ she thought, her mind still flashing back to her practice with Reginald. _Just like I disarmed him._

 

It happened almost with another thought. Jesse was able to press Aiden’s sword down towards their feet. With a flick, she used the momentum of Aiden’s sword against him, forcing Aiden to release his hold on its hilt. His diamond sword flew over his head while its wielder was pushed back to the ground, landing on his back. The sword itself shimmered in the rain as it fell from the dirt outcrop and plummeted to the world below.

 

Aiden gasped, crawling backwards until he was at the edge of the ridge he had built. He looked up at Jesse’s narrowed eyes as she advanced on him, her sword still aimed in his direction.

 

“Wait, wait, wait! Jesse! Hang on!” He threw a palm out to gesture her to stop. “Hang on! I surrender! Just, please. Don’t hurt me.”

 

Jesse continued to frown at the young man. Did he really think she would spare him, after everything that had happened? He had talked so big only minutes before, and now he was groveling and pleading for mercy? She shook her head and huffed.

 

 _A coward._ _That’s all he is._ _Why did I ever feel threatened by him?_

 

“You did it, Jesse!” She turned to see Lukas standing with Reuben, Benedict and Reginald. They all remained at the edge of the island, a safe enough distance from her. “Way to go!”

 

Jesse smiled at him before turning her eyes to Reginald.

 

“Are you all right?” The concern in her voice could still be heard over the thunder in the sky and the shrieking ghasts in the distance.

 

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me,” Reginald replied. “But Jesse, we need to get out of here.”

 

“Yeah, we have to check on the others,” Lukas agreed. The screams of the Sky City citizens only punctuated this statement.

 

Reginald glared at Aiden. “What do you want to do with him?

 

Jesse looked at the pleader out the corner of her eye. Aiden braved getting up from his prone position, though he decided it was in his best interest to remain on his knees with his hands in the air.

 

“Jesse…Jesse, please,” he begged with wide eyes. “This place is getting worse by the minute.”

 

“And whose fault is that?” Lukas disputed, crossing his arms over his chest. Reuben snorted at his side and started digging a hoof into the ground.

 

Aiden cringed at his former friend’s words, but kept his gaze on Jesse. “Please, you can’t just leave me here. Take me with you!”

 

“Oh no! After everything you’ve done?” Reginald yelled. “I’m not sure you deserve that kind of mercy!”

 

Of course, this echoed Jesse’s very own thoughts from just moment ago. However, though she still agreed with the sentiment, hearing it from someone else made the gravity of that option truly apparent. Could she really leave Aiden to the mercy of the monsters in the city? Even though it was his fault the monsters were there to begin with?

 

Aiden certainly didn’t like the idea.

 

“No! No, no, no! Come on! You can’t just leave me behind! If you leave me here, I’ll die! Would you really do that, Jesse?” The desperation in his voice almost made it break. At her silence, Aiden instead focused on Lukas. “Lukas! We used to be friends! You’d leave me to die like this?!”

 

“You haven’t been acting like a friend,” Lukas sneered. Reuben oinked in stern agreement. “You haven’t for a long time.”

 

Aiden’s breathing quickened as he looked back at Jesse. He ran his hands through his hair, pulling hard on it before slamming his hands on the ground and ducking his head.

 

“Please. I’ll do anything.”

 

 _He really is pathetic,_ Jesse thought, slowly blinking her eyes as rain trickled down her face. _This is the guy who tormented Olivia, teased Axel, got nearly all my friends thrown in prison, threatened Reuben, tried to kill Mother and Lukas…Kissed me against my will!_ _Why on earth should I spare him?_

 

But there was a nagging beat in the back of her head. It was the part of her who argued with her mother about how unfair it was to treat people poorly, how cruel it was to punish people for having different perspectives from you. Shouldn’t Jesse try to practice what she preached and treat others with kindness? And learn to forgive? Aiden was just a poor, jealous soul who just wanted people to appreciate him and like him. Was that really too much to ask? Of course, he went about it in the worst way possible, but did Jesse really want to be the person who didn’t show mercy to someone who clearly needed it, even if he didn’t deserve it?

 

She sighed and looked at Lukas. “What do you think?”

 

He took a breath before answering. “I think it’s up to you.”

 

And there was the biggest difference between Lukas and almost everyone else Jesse had encountered in her life. So many people wanted to tell her what to do, how to act. Even if they had the best of intensions, like her mother, Jesse always felt like people only wanted to control her.

 

Lukas was nothing like that. He shared his views with her, certainly, but he never tried to force Jesse into anything she didn’t want. He was leaving it up to her and her own judgment to decide what to do. And considering what Aiden had done to him, it would be no surprise to Jesse if Lukas wanted nothing more than to throw him off the island as well. Perhaps it was the smallest bit of him that still cared somewhat for Aiden that kept him from voicing that opinion. But the fact that he was keeping that opinion, whatever it really was, to himself showed that he trusted Jesse to do what she thought was right.

 

She didn’t want to be the kind of person who didn’t know how to forgive, no matter how heinous the crime.

 

Jesse clicked her tongue. “Get moving, Aiden. You’re coming with us.”

 

She ignored his simpering thanks as she turned her back to him and returned to the cover of the throne room. It was about time to get out of the rain.

 

Reginald huffed, as Aiden passed him. “More than you deserve, frankly.”

 

This sentiment was echoed by both Reuben’s snort and Benedict’s cluck.

 

Once they reached the throne room proper, Reginald grabbed Aiden’s hands from above his head and forced them behind his back. Taking the rope he had previously been bound in, he tied Aiden’s wrists together, ignoring the young man’s grimace when he cinched them tight.

 

Reginald looked down at Reuben and Benedict, both of whom were giving Aiden a disgusted look. Having become accustomed to living with both of these animals, he was surprisingly good at recognizing from their expressions what they wanted. And the looks the pig and chicken were giving him detainee were not pleasant at all.

 

“Don’t even think about it,” he warned them when they took a step towards Aiden. “We still need to get out of here first. This fiend will get his just desserts. Mark my words.”

 

His voice rumbled with these last words, and Aiden couldn’t help but gulp at the implication. He was sure he would prefer the animals’ punishment compared to the Captain’s.

 

Reginald was about to lead his prisoner out of the throne room when he turned to address Jesse and Lukas. However, his plan to lead them out of the palace would have to wait.

 

Jesse had her arms wrapped around Lukas’ neck as she kissed him firmly on the lips. Lukas tightened one arm around her waist while his other hand carefully ran against her wet hair. One of Jesse’s hands ran up and down his arm. In response, he brought his matching hand up to hers, entwining their fingers together as they continued to kiss.

 

 _Don’t really have time for that, but after what’s happened, I don’t have the heart to interrupt._ Reginald suppressed a laugh. _You better take good care of Jesse, young man._ _I’d really hate to have to run you through with the sharp end of my sword._


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Chapter posted! Only the epilogue is left now. Enjoy!

 

Lukas followed Jesse out of the Sky City palace. She was able to navigate the labyrinth of its halls with little to no difficulty. Almost in an instant, they reached the main gate. Reginald was right behind Lukas, holding the detained Aiden at swordpoint. Reuben, meanwhile, carried the Eversource on his back as he ran behind Reginald. The chicken occasionally flapped her wings to keep her balance.

 

Upon reaching outside, Lukas could see close up that the city was not faring well against the monsters. Despite the guards and some of Milo’s builders doing their best to fight, they were all still in trouble. Groups of citizens huddled together nearby, thinking of the palace as shelter. They screamed in fear at every ghast and zombie that passed by. Many of the fighters tried to defend these groups, but the mobs seemed to come out of nowhere.

 

The communal pond in the center of the square had become even more destroyed. Lukas suspected that those creeper monsters had blown up a few times near it. With the center of the island destroyed, the pond now had created a rather large waterfall plunging into the Void.

 

The only good thing was it seemed that many of Aiden’s lackeys had been defeated and disarmed. Maya and Gill both sat on their knees with their arms in the arm. Hadrian and Mevia were tied up with their backs pressed against each other. They were surrounded a couple of familiar faces.

 

“Jesse!” Petra called as she kept her sword pointed Gill’s direction. “You’re okay!”

 

Olivia shot an arrow at an approaching zombie, and then turned to give her friend a relieved smile. Axel was keeping his eye on Hadrian and Mevia, while Ivor was busy making sure Maya didn’t try anything. Reginald pushed Aiden towards the group, forcing him to kneel next to Gill.

 

“And stay there!” Ivor yelled at him. Aiden scowled in response.

 

A nearby ghast shot a fireball at a group of citizens, knocking a few of them to the ground and forcing the rest to scatter. Out of nowhere, Isa leapt up and slashed at the ghast with a spin. She landed softly on her feet and ran to the group.

 

“Jesse! You’re safe!”

 

Jesse ran straight into her mother’s arms, hugging her tightly in the still pouring rain. Several of the citizens who were watching began to mumble to each other. Lukas could barely make out sentences along of the lines of, “That’s The Founder’s daughter?” and, “So, she did have a child after all.” Many of them spoke in varying tones of disbelief and surprise.

 

Isa pulled back from her daughter in time to catch the Eversource as the chicken flew into her arms. With a few loud clucks, Benny flapped until she was sitting on her shoulder. Isa let out a relieved sigh.

 

“You’re all unharmed?” she asked, scratching the Eversource under her chin.

 

“Yes, ma’am!” Reginald proclaimed with a salute.

 

Lukas spotted a mass of blonde hair in the corner of his eye. He turned to see his father and a group of Build Club members running to join them. Everyone, guard, citizen and rebel alike, gathered together in a clear space next to the destroyed pond.

 

“Everyone! Stay together!” Milo declared as he and his group arrived. A few fireballs from the ghasts passed over their heads. Milo huffed as he stopped. “Jesse! There you are!”

 

“Milo!”

 

“Dad!”

 

“Everyone, the situation is getting out of hand,” Isa announced as she helped one of the citizen’s to his feet. “We simply can’t stop all the monsters and protect the people!”

 

“We’re running out of resources too!” Milo said to Lukas. “Many of our weapons have broken from all the fighting.”

 

“And I’m almost out of arrows,” Olivia informed, nocking another arrow in case another monster came by. By the look of her inventory, it was nearly empty.

 

“The longer we stay here, the more danger we’re all in!” Isa proclaimed.

 

“Well, let’s not just stand around then!” Milo yelled. “We have to decide what to do.”

 

Jesse walked up to her mother and put a hand on her shoulder. “Mother, we need an escape route.”

 

“Like what?” Petra asked.

 

Lukas’ eyes drifted to the waterfall to their right. “I guess we could jump for it…”

 

“What?” Milo tilted his head as his son walked toward the pond. “Jump for it? Lukas?”

 

“The waterfall!” Lukas turned to look at everyone else. “The waterfall can take us to safety!”

 

“What?! Are you crazy?!” One of the citizens shouted. “The waterfall will just take us into the Void!”

 

“We’ll die if we fall down there!” Another said.

 

“But there’s nothing but monsters up here!” One of the Build Club members argued.

 

“The Void won’t kill you!” Lukas revealed. “There’s land down there!”

 

This was followed by a round of gasps and chatter between all the people. Many of them approached the pond to watch as Lukas headed for the shallow end, although quite a few took a step back. The sound of more ghasts looming around startled enough of them, they looked like they were seriously considering jumping into the water.

 

“Dang it!” Petra spun around to see another ghast behind her. “Where are all these things coming from?”

 

While she and a few others were busy with the ghast, Jesse slowly approached her boyfriend.

 

“Lukas?” She bit her bottom lip. “Is there really land beneath us?”

 

“Yeah. You were right about something being down there.” The blonde gave her one of his wide smiles. “You trust me, right?”

 

Jesse took his hand and entwined their fingers. “Always.”

 

Nothing more was said between the couple. They jumped down from the edge of the pond and into the water itself. It was shallow at first, reach no higher than their waists. As they continued to approach the waterfall it became deeper and deeper. Once their feet no longer touched the bottom, they spun around to encourage the others to follow their lead.

 

Another ghast showed up and spat a fireball. By the time it flew over them, Isa had already jumped into the low part of the pond.

 

“Lukas is telling the truth! I saw the land below as well!” Reginald’s jaw dropped at both her words and her actions. “I will prove it to you!”

 

“Founder!” Reginald called as Isa imitated her daughter, swimming to the waterfall. Reuben was right behind her. He kept Benny on his back, since chicken feet were not very effective at paddling in water. Pig hooves weren’t great, but Reuben had no problem swimming. Reginald steeled his nerves. “Wait for me!”

 

With that, the Captain of the Guard jumped in. Milo saluted to his builders before doing the same. A few others began to jump as well. Petra and Ivor took it upon themselves to push Gill and Maya into the pond before joining them. Axel picked up both Hadrian and Mevia, and Olivia untied their hands so they would be able to use them to swim. Axel smirked as he tossed the two rather unceremoniously into the water. Hadrian sputtered and gasped for breath once he resurfaced. Even Ivor’s stone golem from his lab joined everyone in the pond.

 

Jesse and Lukas turned around again in order to face the waterfall. Jesse squeezed his hands tighter as they approached the top. They both screamed as they tumbled over the cascade. There were more yells, both of excitement and terror, as the whole of Sky City’s population fell from the island and into what they believed was the Void.

 

It was a very long fall, and Jesse did not stop screaming the entire time. Lukas, who of course had already experienced this, did not scream. He just reveled in the thrill of the fall this time, knowing he would be safe. It didn’t hurt that Jesse wouldn’t let go of his hand either.

 

The bottom of the waterfall eventually came, and the two of them dived feet first into the lake. Jesse finally released her hold on Lukas’ hand, allowing both of them to swim to the surface. Lukas shook out his hair, although it didn’t help with the splashing of both the waterfall and the others who followed them.

 

Jesse treaded water as she glanced around at the whole new world. “Ha!”

 

Lukas chuckled at her response, and then led her to the lake’s edge. He held out a hand to help pull her out of the water. Stepping back to watch, Lukas couldn’t help but be amused by her dazed expression.

 

“Wow…” She looked around at the trees, the dunes, the mountains, everything! “This is…wow!”

 

“Yeah,” Lukas agreed simply. “Your mom and I were pretty stunned too.”

 

“I just can’t believe it,” Jesse whispered, echoing her mother’s words. “This…this changes everything!”

 

“You’re telling me.”

 

There was a splash as Isa, Reginald, Milo, Reuben, and Benny fell into the lake and made their way to the beach.

 

“Whoa! You weren’t lying,” Reginald declared. “There’s ground everywhere!”

 

More and more people came from the island above and made their way through the way and onto the shore. They all looked at the ground, the trees, the animals with jaws dropped open and eyes wide. This far down from the island, the rain no longer reached them. The sun shone from the blue sky and through the leaves and branches, marking the dawn of a new day.

 

A few of the younger children start splashing around in the water, ignoring their parents’ cries for them to be careful. A sheep walked carelessly by, and the citizens lined up to watch as it snacked on some grass. One of Build Club members decided to punch a tree several times. Everyone gasped when some blocks of wood fell out of it. Another builder put together four of these blocks to make a crafting table of her own.

 

Jesse couldn’t take her eyes off the horizon. Seeing something other than endless sky for the first time in her life…

 

“It’s amazing,” she whispered.

 

“Sure is.”

 

She finally took her eyes off the faraway mountains to see Lukas smiling at her. He wasn’t looking at their surroundings at all. Jesse felt her cheeks heat up.

 

They were interrupted by the sound of groaning and grumbling from a short distance away. Aiden and his gang were wading through the lake, reaching the shore and sputtering water out of their mouths. There was a heavy stomp of a foot, and the trio froze. Aiden slowly raised his eyes up to see Axel standing in front of them, arms cross and mouth set in an amused smile.

 

“Well, check out what washed up right next to me.” He leaned down and grabbed Aiden by the collar, hoisting him up and out of the water. “Freeze, criminals!”

 

“Oh, he did not just arrest Aiden without me, did he?” Petra said, her hands on her hips. She shook her head as more guards came over to take Gill, Maya, Hadrian, Mevia, and a few others into custody. “Axel, what the heck?”

 

“Sorry, Petra,” he shouted back as he held Aiden’s hands behind his back. “I’ve always wanted to say that.”

 

Maya and Gill both groaned as their hands were tied. Hadrian spat at one of the guard’s feet, but all that did was earn him a whack in the head. Mevia’s scowl could have twisted her face into a spiral if she wasn’t careful. At least Aiden kept his eyes to the ground while the others were apprehended.

 

“Now, this is just speculation,” Petra supposed. “But I’m guessing them have some regrets.”

 

“Knew they wouldn’t get away,” Olivia agreed. “Got to say, they’re all in for a bad time. They’ve pretty much made enemies of everyone here.”

 

“Yeah. Hopefully they dig a deep hole, bury them in it, surround it with lava, and…” Lukas stopped as he realized that pretty much everyone was staring at him with open mouths. The only one who wasn’t was Ivor, who instead gave a wicked grin and nodded in approval. “Sorry. Got a little carried away there.”

 

Milo huffed a laugh and put a hand on Lukas’ head. “Son, should I be concerned about you?”

 

“No, Dad,” he replied, pushing his father’s hand away. “I’m okay.”

 

They all moved aside as the guards moved the group of criminals away. Aiden glanced briefly at Jesse before dropping his gaze back to his boots.

 

“Aiden.” Jesse put her hands on her hips, trying to keep her expression as neutral as she could. Axel stopped, forcing Aiden to halt as well, but didn’t release his hold on the shorter brunette. The others continued to walk to the other side of the area.

 

“Oh, uh, hi, Jesse. I’m…” He paused when he saw Lukas taking the green-eyed girl’s hand. Aiden let out a sound that seemed like a cross between clearing his throat and a cough. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry to cause all that trouble.”

 

“You did more than just cause trouble, jerk,” Petra stated, but Olivia gently elbowed her to keep quiet.

 

“Listen, I know what…I know what I did was wrong, on so many levels.” Aiden still didn’t make eye contact with her. “I’ve…got some regrets, to say the least.”

 

“Yeah, I’m sorry too, Aiden,” Jesse answered resolutely. “It didn’t have to be this way.”

 

“I know. I just…I was just so jealous. Bitter.” He finally lifted his face to look at her. “I just wanted of piece of something good. And you’re that, Jesse. You get that, right?”

 

“You can’t treat people like crafting supplies, Aiden,” she sneered, shaking her head. “And you can’t treat people badly because you think you’re better than them. I’d have thought you would’ve figured that out by now.”

 

“I know! I know…” Aiden trailed off for a moment. “I get it now. I get it…”

 

To be honest, Jesse wasn’t entirely convinced he did, but she didn’t voice that opinion.

 

“I’d say you have a lot to think about,” Lukas added.

 

“Yeah.” His eyes returned to the grass. “That’s for sure.”

 

“I’m not sure what Mother’s going to want to do with you, but I think you should just go along with it, okay?” Jesse suggested after a pause. “Try to make a fresh start? Show some remorse?”

 

“Right.” Aiden nodded, glancing at Lukas. “I’ll stay out of your way from now on.”

 

With that, the conversation seemed to be over, and Axel gave Aiden a slight nudge to make his walk again. Aiden didn’t fight him, and continued to look at the ground.

 

Axel was still smiling by the end of it all. When he passed by Petra, she held up a hand, and they shared a high-five and identical smiles.

 

“Okay,” Lukas said. “So, what do we do now?”

 

As if to answer him, Reginald bellowed out in his loudest “I’m the Captain of the Guard” voice.

 

“Attention! Attention!”

 

The group turned to see Isa hopping onto a raised part of a small hill. She raised her arms to hail the citizens.

 

“Hello? Hello? Everyone, please? This is your Founder speaking.” This caught everyone’s notice, and soon enough there was a huge crowd of former Sky City residents standing before her. Reginald stood to Isa’s right as she spoke. “Now that’s we’re all safe, we need to organize. Start planning our new community.”

 

Not everyone seemed to be on board with this idea, however. Milo pushed himself forward from the crowd.

 

“Are you listening to yourself? That’s insane!” He jumped up so he was at the same height as Isa and turned to address the throng. “We were prisoners long enough on that island in the sky! It is time for us to run free! Build whatever we please!”

 

“Oh, for the love of…” Petra slapped her palm against her forehead.

 

Olivia crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head in annoyance. “It’s hard to pick glass half full when they keep kicking the glass over.”

 

“I am trying to do what I can to help my people!” Isa declared. “I don’t expect you to understand!”

 

“Help yourself right back onto your old throne, more like!” Milo argued back. “You are so wound up with controlling everyone that you can’t relax for one minute!”

 

“Relax?!” Isa echoed, her voice bounding. “My people are in more danger than they ever have been, and you want me to relax?!”

 

“What I want you to do is let the people do as they please!” Milo fisted his hands and held them almost like he wanted to punch The Founder. “You have no right to command us how to do everything! Haven’t you done that enough?!”

 

“No, you don’t understand! It will be night soon, and that is when the monsters come out!” Isa rubbed her temple as everyone in the crowd gasped at this news. “If we don’t prepare, we’ll be in danger again! Just like we were in the city!”

 

“You’re just making excuses to control our behavior, just like before!” Milo reasoned, refusing to see her logic or concern. “We must trust in ourselves! Be able to learn from our mistakes!”

 

“There’s got to be a better way to handle this,” Lukas said, pinching the bridge of his long nose.

 

“Yeah, I’m sick of them fighting,” Jesse agreed. She jerked her head and then began walking to the front of the crowd. “I’ve had enough of this.”

 

“Jesse?!” Lukas held out a hand to her, but didn’t catch her in time. The entire team rushed to follow their friend.

 

“The people need to build!” Milo proclaimed.

 

Lukas passed a muttering citizen. “What do we do?”

 

“Who are we supposed to listen to?” Another murmured.

 

“Of course the people can build, but we need a system!” Isa rationalized. “Some rules! Rules aren’t bad!”

 

“This is all very confusing.” Lukas heard this last comment right before Jesse reached the debating leaders.

 

“Would you both cut it out!” Jesse leaped up to their level and placed herself between them. She jutted a palm to each of their chests, forcing Isa and Milo apart. “You’re acting like crazy people!”

 

There was another round of shouting from the people, their reactions ranging from confusion to shock.

 

“Who is that?”

 

“Isn’t that The Founder’s daughter?”

 

“So the rumors were true?”

 

“Why hasn’t The Founder mentioned her before?”

 

“What’s she going to do?”

 

“Jesse, this doesn’t involve you,” Isa said, lowering her voice only because she was addressing her daughter. “Please stand aside.”

 

“Oh, I’d say this involves her a lot!” Milo shouted. “You’ve restricted her just as much as us!”

 

“Would you two stop fighting!” Jesse threw her arms into the air. Her volume not only made the two of them quiet, but it silenced the rest of the crowd as well. Not even a cricket could be heard as Jesse let out a long sigh, forcing herself to calm down. “Seriously, this has gone on for long enough. You need to stop this fighting once and for all and listen to each other.”

 

“Jesse,” Isa said in a clipped tone. “I cannot allow my people to be influenced by this…naïve idealist!”

 

Milo let out a low scoff. “I’m sure I do look like a naïve idealist through the eyes of an oppressive dictator!”

 

Reginald spun to face Milo. “Watch your tongue, mister!”

 

“Dad!” Lukas called from the front row of people. “That’s enough!”

 

“Well, you know what?” Jesse asked. “I think you’re both right.”

 

Everyone, including Lukas and her other friends, stared at Jesse with visible question marks above their heads. Jesse looked up, addressing the people as well as her mother and her boyfriend’s father.

 

“Listen, you don’t want to just run around with no plan,” she explained. “But you can’t schedule and organize everything either.”

 

There was a slight murmur from the citizens as they considered these words.

 

“People need to be free to try new things,” she continued, rubbing the back of her neck. “But you got to be safe about it.”

 

The muttering grew in volume as they all seemed to take this compromise to heart.

 

“Look at where this arguing has gotten us so far,” Jesse said. “There’s absolutely no reason we can’t all work together. We just need to learn to listen to one another, and take things in with an open mind.”

 

The crowd hollered in agreement. Jesse glanced back and forth between Milo and Isa, waiting for them to respond.

 

Milo took off his beret and placed it over his heart. “I suppose I still have much to learn. Thank you, Jesse.”

 

Isa, meanwhile, gently placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “I don’t understand yet, but I trust you.”

 

Jesse smiled at both of them, and then turned her attention back to the people. “So, is everyone in agreement?”

 

There was a unanimous “Yeah!” from the crowd. Lukas let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding all this time. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and chuckled.

 

“Well, let’s see how long this lasts,” Petra joked.

 

“Eh, it could be worse,” Axel said, having joined them again.

 

“Okay, so we do need to get started on crafting shelter and weapons,” Jesse announced. “Hey, everyone from Build Club! Will you please split up and start showing some of the others how to build some stuff? My mother and I will go around to help anyone who’s having trouble. That means you too, Ivor.”

 

Jesse smirked at the bearded man, who looked like he was about to sneak away. Having been caught, Ivor just shrugged and gave a crooked grin.

 

“Everyone, try stuff out, see what works,” she continued. “But don’t be afraid to ask for help if you can’t make something you need.”

 

The people all nodded and shouted agreement before dispersing. Some made their way to the trees for wood, while others started looking at dirt for building simple houses. A couple gathered around Milo as he showed them the recipe for a wooden sword. It was a simple weapon, but a simple weapon was better than nothing at all.

 

“Whew, glad that’s finally sorted out.” Petra rolled her eyes at Jesse and Lukas “If they were going to argue any longer, I would’ve smacked them with my sword, your parents or not.”

 

“Good thing Jesse’s more of the diplomat than you.” Lukas laughed as he gave Jesse a kiss on her cheek. “You don’t always have to be a hack-and-slash type, do you?”

 

“Not always,” Jesse agreed.

 

“I do,” Petra huffed. “I like hacking and slashing monsters. It’s fun.”

 

“Did someone mention hacking and slashing?” Axel yelled. “I can hack and slash!”

 

“You’re more of a punch and crunch guy, Axel,” said the redhead, giving him a light fist in his shoulder.

 

“Nothing wrong with that, right?” Axel didn’t receive a quick response. “Right?”

 

“Yes, Axel.” Petra smirked. “Nothing wrong with it at all.”

 

“God, I am such a fifth wheel,” Olivia said out of nowhere. The two couples stared at her with apologetic eyes. She laughed and turned to leave. “I know. I know. I get it.”

 

“Sorry, Olivia,” Jesse replied.

 

Olivia gave her a grin. “Bet I can teach more people how to make bows by the end of the day that any of you can!”

 

“Oh, hey! That’s not fair!” Axel proclaimed as Olivia ran off. “I don’t know how to craft a bow at all!”

 

“Come on, big guy.” Petra took his hand and started to lead him away. “I’ll show you while I show some of the others, okay?”

 

“Be careful out there!” Lukas called. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

 

“Like fall off a floating island?” Jesse joked as Petra and Axel headed off.

 

“Nah, I’m not really a big fan of that anyway,” Lukas teased. “Trust me, I have no plans of repeating that.”

 

Jesse stomped her foot on the dirt below. “Kind of strange, isn’t it? Being on solid ground? Not floating in the sky.”

 

“I’m sure we’ll get used to it someday,” Lukas answered.

 

The two continued to chat and plan for the future. They didn’t notice Isa watching them from a short distance away, close enough she could hear their conversation. She smiled sadly as she stroked Benny’s feathers. She felt another warm body press against her other hand. Isa flipped her hand so she could scratch Reuben behind his ears. She didn’t take her hands off of Jesse though.

 

“Kind of hard to imagine, isn’t it?” Reginald said from above. Isa looked up from her sitting position to see him standing with his hands behind his back. “Jesse’s growing up, becoming her own person.”

 

“She was doing that before,” Isa acknowledged. “I just never wanted to admit it. I…wasn’t ready for it, I suppose.”

 

There was a tense pause between the two before Reginald sighed.

 

“Isa, I know I’ve always left the parenting to you, trying to keep Jesse safe and everything,” he said. “But maybe it is time we _both_ accepted that she’s not a little girl anymore?”

 

The Founder gave him a small grin. “As hard as it is for me face, you’re right.”

 

Reuben let out a loud oink, and Benny flapped over to ride on his back. The little pig galloped over to where Jesse and Lukas were talking. On the way, he tripped over unevenness in the dirt blocks below, launching Benny from her perch, causing her to tumble forward and onto her face. She shook her feathers out as she stood up.

 

“Hey Benny!” Jesse called. She turned to Reuben’s oink. “Hi, Reuben! I was wondering where you were!”

 

“So sorry about that,” Isa said as she approached the couple. “I was watching after them for a bit.”

 

“That’s okay,” Lukas finally answered. Jesse was biting her lip again, so he felt he should buy her time to gather her thoughts about whatever was on her mind. He could take a guess what it was. “It looks like she’s having fun running around.”

 

“That she is. I think she took it pretty well when I told her she didn’t need to be the Eversource anymore.” Isa bent down to fluff some of the chicken’s feathers on her chest and head. “What are we going to do with you now, huh? What are you going to do now? Besides continue to be adorable, of course. But that was a given.”

 

Lukas couldn’t suppress the laugh emanating from his throat. Never had he heard The Founder speak like that to anyone. Although, considering some of Jesse’s behaviors around Reuben, he found he couldn’t be terribly surprised.

 

“Sorry,” he said when Isa stood again. “I just never expected…”

 

“To hear me speak like that? I suppose not in public.” Isa smiled down at her little chicken friend. “After so long of being The Founder and The Eversource, now we can just be Isa and her best friend…”

 

Isa pulled the crown off the Eversource’s head. “…Benedict.”

 

Lukas’ eyebrows rose into his fringe. He felt silly that he hadn’t realized “Benny” was short for “Benedict.”

 

“I still say that’s a boy’s name!” Ivor yelled as he walked by.

 

“And you still have a closed-minded attitude, Ivor!” Isa debated.

 

The man laughed as he went on his way, and Lukas couldn’t help but join in for a moment. He stopped at the next voice however.

 

“Mother?” Both Isa and Lukas turned their attention to Jesse, who was still worrying her lip. “I’m sorry…Everything on the island was happening so fast. I wanted to say…I’m sorry for everything. For fighting with you, lying to you…saying I hated you. I was really angry, but that’s not…I didn’t mean it.”

 

Isa’s face fell to a sad smile.

 

“You’re not the only one who’s sorry, Jesse,” Isa admitted. “I’ve always been so preoccupied with believing the worst in people, I never tried to see the good they were trying to do.”

 

Jesse continued to stare at the ground as Isa approached her and put her hands on her shoulders.

 

“And that includes my own daughter.”

 

Jesse raised her gaze to meet her mother’s, her eyes a little misty. She lunged forward and gave Isa a tight hug, which was eagerly returned. Lukas crossed his arms, beaming in pride and relief as he watched mother and daughter finally make up. They had been fighting against one another for ages. Perhaps long before the Spring Festival initiated the events that brought them all to the land below Sky City’s island. It was a huge reprieve, as far as Lukas was concerned.

 

After several minutes, Isa finally pulled back.

 

“Now, don’t think this means I’m going to stop worrying about and being overprotective of you, Jesse,” she declared. “Even though so many other things are changing, I’m still your mother, and that’s a lifetime commitment. That will never change.”

 

“I wouldn’t want it to,” Jesse replied, wiping her eyes.

 

“And as for you, young man.” Isa turned to Lukas, who immediately stood up straighter. “Lukas. Thank you, for everything you’ve done for me, my daughter and my people.”

 

Lukas’s only response was nod. “Sure thing.”

 

“And you better look after Jesse.”

 

“Mother!”

 

Lukas put his arm around Jesse shoulders and gave her a sideways hug. “You can count on it.”

 

“Lukas!” Jesse gave him a gentle push, but didn’t break out of his embrace.

 

Isa smiled down at her chicken companion. “Come along, Benedict. We have a lot of people to teach crafting to.”

 

Jesse and Lukas watched the two stroll away, shortly joined by Reginald as he continued to do his job as Isa’s bodyguard. They were soon surrounded by several citizens who were trying to build a shelter large enough for them to stay the night in. Another low chortle rumbled out of Lukas’ throat.

 

“You know something?” He asked his girlfriend. “She was a little scary at first, but your mom’s all right.”

 

Jesse laughed. “Glad to hear it.”

 

Reuben waited to see what the two humans would do next. He snorted. It didn’t seem like they were going to do anything but watch the water. Seriously? After all this, they were just going to stand there?!

 

Something had to be done. He nudged Jesse in her legs with his head, almost forcing her to fall straight into Lukas’ chest. She snapped her head down to the pig, and he gave her an amused grin.

 

“Reuben!” She shook her head at him before looking up at Lukas. The blonde just smirked with mirth, and she huffed. “Come on, you guys.”

 

Any further protest of hers was cut off when Lukas covered her lips with his. Reuben oinked in contentment as the pair kissed. It was about time! He wanted to see his Jesse happy, and Lukas was a good man. Reuben was only annoyed that it took all these challenging events to bring them together.

 

Seeing them together like this, though, was worth all that trouble.

 

Jesse ended the kiss with a tiny sigh. “We, uh, probably should go help the others build.”

 

“In a minute.” Lukas pulled her to him again, running his fingers gently through her dark hair. “I want to take a moment to relax and enjoy this. Haven’t we earned that at least?”

 

“Won’t argue with that.”

 

And Jesse kissed him again, as Reuben pranced in a circle around the couple.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have removed the April Fools’ Day/Easter chapter and replaced it with this one. I swear this is the real epilogue! I’ve loved the responses, by the way. Some were amused, some weren’t, and one threatened to hit me with a stick. Ah, good times. Good times.
> 
> Of course the epilogue had to be the longest chapter. I had to finish the story, tie up loose ends, foreshadow a possible sequel…Oh, woe is me! Just kidding. This has been a blast. I’ve had a really fun time writing this, and I hope everyone who’s read this has enjoyed it just as much!
> 
> Most people want a sequel to this story to be my next project, so that’s what I’m planning on. It’s going to be based on season two in general, not necessarily one episode. I do have the basic idea in my head. I just need to write the outline (yeah, I’m an outline person) and work on the details. 
> 
> I’m still trying to figure out some logistical stuff, like what to do with Reuben (since he’s not in season two and I refuse to kill him), whether Stella should end up a friend or foe, Xara’s fate, just how far to go with Romeo’s behavior, what other secondary characters to use, what the Warden’s name should be, etc. and so on. I will post it at some point, but it may be some time while I hash all this stuff out. 
> 
> In any case, here’s the epilogue for Rebel of Sky City. Thank you all again for your views, kudos, reviews, and patience! They really make my day! Enjoy!

 

“And done!” Jesse threw down her quill, leaned back in her chair, and ran her hands through her long black hair. “Man, I hate all this paperwork sometimes.”

 

Isa glanced up from where she was working at her own desk and smiled. Despite being a co-leader of the now two-year-old Beacontown, Jesse always preferred working with people. She liked it much more than sitting in the office and filling out forms and bookkeeping. It was quite inspiring, if Isa was honest with herself.

 

Jesse never should have been kept alone, locked up in Sky City’s palace. Isa saw that now, and she kicked herself every day for thinking it was ever good for her daughter. Jesse absolutely relished in being around the people and helping them out whenever she could. That was her place, and Isa was glad she had found it.

 

Benedict flew over to Jesse’s desk, carrying a water bottle. She dropped it right in front of the exhausted young woman. Jesse grinned and took a substantial gulp, gasping when she ran out of water.

 

“Thanks, Benny.”

 

Benedict clucked in response before flying over to the makeshift nest she had built out of Isa’s discarded papers. She scratched at the bottom with her feet for a bit and then settled down for a small nap.

 

“Now I’ve got the rest of the day off!” Jesse proclaimed as she jumped up from her seat.

 

“It’s good of you to get your work out of the way before relaxing, even on Founding Day.” Isa glared at the catastrophe that was Milo’s desk...or it would be Milo’s desk, if he ever decided to excavate it from beneath all the unfinished paperwork he left there. “Unlike someone else I know.”

 

Jesse couldn’t hold in her laugh. Although their fights were fewer in number, it was still an uphill battle to get Isa and Milo to see eye to eye on anything. That’s why Jesse was the appointed third party in the leadership position. When Milo and Isa couldn’t agree, Jesse would help them compromise.

 

Part of the problem was that once Milo was sure the people had the freedom to build, he wasn’t all that interested in directly leading them. This wasn’t because he didn’t care – far from it – but Milo was more interested in doing things with the people rather than telling them what to do.

 

“You know Milo’s probably crazy busy with that restaurant of his,” Jesse reminded her mother.

 

After settling down in Beacontown, Milo decided to expand his inn business into more of a restaurant. He still provided inn services, but people went there for food more than anything now. Without having to hide while crafting anymore, Milo quickly occupied his mind with creating different foods. From meats to produce to grains and everything in between, Milo had become the local expert in meals.

 

It was no surprise to anyone when he built a community garden for anyone to use right next door to his inn. Not only did he get many of his ingredients there, but also everyone else was free to take what they wanted. Lukas once told her it was Milo’s way of honoring his late wife. After everything that had happened, it was nice to punctuate that part of his life with a positive note.

 

“I understand that,” Isa conceded. “But is it too much to ask that he follow proper protocol for once?”

 

Jesse laughed again, but decided not to answer. Isa probably wasn’t expecting a response to such a rhetorical question. She got up from her desk and looked down at Reuben, who was sleeping on his bed pressed up against her desk. She gently nudged him with her foot.

 

“Hey, sleepyhead!” she called to him. Reuben’s ears twitched, making her think he wasn’t actually asleep. “Time to get up! We got to go see Lukas!”

 

At the name, Reuben immediately perked up. He loved handing out with Lukas! He got to do that pretty often, considering Lukas’ relationship with Jesse, but that didn’t matter. Perhaps he would give Reuben one of the carrots from Milo’s community garden!

 

“Have you had anything to eat?” Isa asked as Jesse did some final organizing before she left.

 

“I had lunch about an hour ago, so I’m good for now,” Jesse explained. “Lukas and I are going to stop by Milo’s place for dinner after his book signing’s finished.”

 

“Don’t forget.” Jesse raised an eyebrow at her. “Oh, don’t give me that look. Let me worry about you a little bit. I’m your mother.”

 

“As you’re always reminding me,” Jesse said, rolling her eyes but smiling nonetheless. “Do you really think I’d let myself go hungry?”

 

“Well, I can’t help but think about it.” Isa signed a few more papers. “You’re not only eating for yourself now, you know.”

 

Jesse had already pulled the door leading out of the office open when her mother made this statement, and she paused. She turned around to look over at the older woman with furrowed eyebrows staring at her with a tilt to her head. Isa grinned and shrugged her shoulders.

 

“I’m a worrier, Jesse,” she replied. “It’s in my nature.”

 

Jesse blinked but decided to let it go. “I’ll see you for the speech tonight, okay?”

 

“Okay. Say hello to Lukas for me.”

 

“Don’t I always?”

 

With that, Jesse and Reuben headed out of the office, closing the door behind them so Isa wouldn’t be disturbed.

 

Heading down the single hallway, the two made their way to the central chamber of the mansion. The building that housed the leaders had been Jesse’s design, with Lukas’ input. It was by his insistence that the hallways to all the rooms of the mansion not be labyrinthine, like the Sky City palace had been. An unintended consequence of this was that it made it easier for visitors to find their way. And boy, did they have a lot of visitors every day!

 

Today, the main hall was devoid of people. Rather, the entire population of Beacontown was busy celebrating Founding Day. As Jesse and Reuben walked through, their footsteps echoing off the stone blocks, they glanced around at the treasures on display. Jesse chuckled.

 

Along with the ground discovered beneath the island were several untouched biomes as well. The people of Beacontown wasted no time exploring their new surroundings. Some went to the plains biome. Some traversed to the jungle biome. Others braved the ice plains spikes biome, although they quickly learned what harsh terrain that was. To the shock of absolutely no one, Petra was one of the chief explorers of the new world. She led several expeditions with groups of warriors, but she often went off on her own to travel as well.

 

It took no time at all for the treasures to start pouring in. Jesse thought there was no better place to put them than on display where anyone could look at them when they pleased. As such, Jesse set up several stands where the treasures could stay. The major ones lined the back of the hall, but some of the more impressive ones also lined the red carpet leading in and out of the room.

 

“This place is getting full, isn’t it?” Jesse said to Reuben as they passed the golden apple, spider eye, and Benedict’s old Eversource crown. “We’re going to need more stands if Petra comes back with some more stuff liked she keeps threatening to.”

 

Reuben snorted in agreement. They were going to be completely overrun with treasure at this rate!

 

Exiting the grand hall through the giant doorway, Jesse and Reuben headed down a short flight of stairs and into Beacontown proper. Jesse glanced at the large mansion behind her, with its large columns and huge egg-shaped prominence at the front. Leave it to Isa to still honor Benedict with egg motifs. Thankfully, the chicken no longer had to donate her eggs for resources, and hadn’t for two years now.

 

She turned her attention back to the town. Jesse’s grin widened at the sight of the bright and cheerful city her people had built. At the very front, closest to the mansion, was a huge display of beacons in rainbow colors. The design had been Lukas’, with a little bit of input from Ivor. It was from this that the town got its name.

 

The lake had become the center of the city, with the mansion sitting on the water’s edge. They dug up the ground to form a little moat around it, and then drove the water through the city. The main street crossed over the river and went south. The road stopped at the large walls encircling the city for protection against nighttime monsters. The huge gates at the end of the street opened to anyone who wanted to head out into the world.

 

Pretty much everyone had a different idea of what kind of home they wanted to build. This resulted in a huge variety in the size, shape, color, and theme of their homes. Some were a bit more traditional, looking more like small cottages or villas. Others were strange and creative, such as the one fisherman who decided to make his house in the shape of an octopus. There were cathouses, towers, bridges connecting houses together, and even houses in the shapes of hamburgers and cow heads. And that was just to name a few!

 

Jesse glanced over at the dug up earth to the right, where a tall tower with a skull on the top stood. It had been Ivor’s house (and still technically was), but it originally had been filled with flowing lava, creating a lava pool at the bottom. Jesse rolled her eyes as she recalled the day she had to ask Ivor to take the lava out in order to keep it from setting anything else on fire. Well, it had been less like Jesse asking Ivor to do so and more like she allowed the other citizens to do it. It had taken a good three days to remove all the lava. Ivor refused to speak to Jesse for a week.

 

As Jesse continued her trek, she looked around at the booths and displays everyone had out to celebrate Founding Day. It reminded her of the Spring Festival that Sky City used to hold. They still had festivities like that, but fewer than before. They were more about celebrating specific holidays rather than as recognition of the changing seasons. They got enough of that from the trees and other plant life that sprung up and down the various streets of Beacontown.

 

One new display caught Jesse’s eye. To the uninitiated builder, it must have looked like a strange mishmash of wood and redstone, but Jesse knew better. Within the mixture of wood blocks were dispensers for fireworks, which were timed to go off in an alternative pattern. Olivia had designed it, with absolutely no help from Jesse at all. Olivia was really coming into her own when it came to redstone, leaving Jesse so impressed that she was now coming to Olivia in search of advice.

 

Speaking of Olivia, she was standing in front of the firework dispenser. She seemed to be having perhaps not a heated conversation with Axel, but the two of them did look like they were having a difference in opinion.

 

Jesse started to head over to them. “Come on, Reuben. Let’s say hi.”

 

Reuben actually reached the bickering pair before she did. He shoved his head between them in the obvious ploy of getting scratches. Both Olivia and Axel laughed as they petted him simultaneously.

 

“Hey guys,” Jesse said with a wave.

 

“Hey Jesse!” Axel greeted. “How goes it?”

 

“Not bad,” she replied. “What’s going on?”

 

“Well, we just finished building the fireworks dispenser for the display tonight,” Olivia explained. “And we think it needs something more. Something to make it more memorable, you know?”

 

“And we figured building some sort of statue in front of it would do the trick,” Axel added.

 

“Makes sense,” Jesse concurred, glancing up at the giant dispenser. “You’ve got something functional. Now you want something fun.”

 

“Exactly!”

 

“So, what’s the problem?”

 

“I was thinking that if we wanted to really get people’s attention…” Axel continued. “…we’d build something scary.”

 

“He wants to build a statue of a creeper,” Olivia mentioned.

 

“And Olivia’s got the idea in her head that we should build an Enderman instead,” Axel complained.

 

“I’m more scared of Endermen than creepers,” she argued.

 

“But creepers blow everything up,” Axel debated. “They sure cause a lot of damage when one wanders into town.”

 

“You’ve never had an Enderman pop into your house and screech into your face,” Olivia reminded him. “Why do you think I keep my house surrounded by water?”

 

“I _have_ always wondered about that.” Axel scratched his chin. “But wouldn’t Endermen just teleport over the water?”

 

“Oh thanks, Axel! Like I needed that in my head!"

 

“What about a zombie?” Jesse suggested, breaking into their quarrel. “I’ve always been frightened of those, ever since I was little.”

 

“I guess that’s kind of like a creeper,” Axel conceded.

 

Olivia shrugged. “Eh, it’s a monster. It’s fine.”

 

“And lots of people don’t like zombies, not after Sky City’s Last Day.” Axel recalled the time everyone left the island in the clouds with a slight shiver. “Think you’ve got some time to help us build it?”

 

“Yeah!” Olivia agreed. “That’d be great!”

 

“Absolutely!” Jesse looked down as Rueben nudged her ankle. “Don’t worry. Lukas will understand.”

 

“We’ve got plenty colored wool over here,” Olivia directed her to the pile of all colors of wool, including purple, green, and light blue blocks.

 

“This is going to be awesome!” Axel declared as he grabbed a bunch of blocks.

 

It didn’t take the three of them very long to put together a two-dimensional statue in the form of a zombie. It definitely made the fireworks machine look much more menacing. The head of the zombie ended up quite a few blocks taller than the machine itself. Jesse figured that would help hide the intricacies of the redstone and dispensers. It made it seem more like the zombie was creating the fireworks.

 

Jesse finished off the statue by placing a simple lever on the side, making the statue ready to go with a single flip. She stepped back to look at the top, her neck craning awkwardly as she looked into the holes that represented its eyes. Olivia and Axel both smiled as they mimicked her.

 

“This is so cool!” Olivia declared. “Everyone’s going to love this!”

 

“How could anyone _not_ love a zombie?” said Axel. “Good call, Jesse.”

 

“Thanks,” she replied. “This turned out great. Great job, guys!”

 

“Going to stick around for a test run?” Olivia asked.

 

“Sorry, but I better get going,” Jesse said, rubbing the back of her neck. “I promised Lukas I’d meet up with him at his book signing before dinner.”

 

Olivia waved her away. “Better get going then.”

 

“Yeah, don’t want to keep the ball and chain waiting,” Axel joked.

 

“You know he hates it when you call him that,” Jesse reminded him with a shake of her head.

 

“Exactly.”

 

“He’s been hanging around Petra too much,” Olivia teased, to which Axel raised an eyebrow at her.

 

“I’ll definitely be around tonight for the display,” Jesse informed them. “I’ll see you guys then, okay?”

 

“See you later!”

 

Jesse and Reuben continued down Main Street towards the bookshop. Jesse passed several other people on the way, who either called out to her or waved. She loved seeing the people so free and content. In Sky City, she hadn’t gotten a lot of exposure to the people on a day-to-day basis, but what she had seen was nothing like this. Beacontown was much more vibrant and cheerful than anything in Sky City.

 

It brought a warm feeling to her chest to see the people so happy.

 

For anyone who didn’t know where the bookshop was, they only need to look for the huge line for Lukas’ book signing. Jesse didn’t count, but she wouldn’t be surprised if there were over a hundred people standing in wait. That didn’t include the people who were leaving the area after having their book signed, or the people who were joining the end of the line.

 

Jesse was able to pick out a few familiar faces as she bypassed the line to head for the table in front of the bookstore. She nodded respectfully to Otto and shook Ivy’s hands. They both had been good friends since the Spring Festival two years ago. After all, they were some of the first people she interacted with after her initial escape from the palace.

 

Another woman with brown hair screeched as she saw Jesse. She abandoned her spot in the line and ran up to her, to Jesse and Reuben’s shock.

 

“Jesse! Jesse! Gimme five!” she shrieked, and held her right hand up.

 

Jesse giggled, reminded of the time Lukas first taught her what a high-five was in the first place. Not wanting to leave the woman hanging, Jesse gave her the desired high-five.

 

The woman shrieked in joy again and turned to her friends.

 

“See that?! Jesse _high-fived_ me! _Me_!” She hopped up and down for a moment and waved as Jesse passed her. She then shook out her hand with a small grimace. “…It actually hurt a little bit. Wow.”

 

And with that, the woman promptly fainted.

 

Neither Jesse nor Reuben noticed this. They had already reached the front of the line where Lukas sat at a small table with a huge stack of books. He held a quill in his right hand and passed out books from the stack as he signed them. Most people brought their own copies, which meant that there were still plenty to be passed out for those who didn’t have them yet.

 

Once he spotted Jesse, Lukas immediately dropped the quill and stood so he could give her a hug.

 

“There’s my wonderful wife,” he said, pecking her on the cheek. “Finished your work already?”

 

“I did it as quickly as I could,” Jesse replied when they pulled apart. “Didn’t want to keep you waiting.”

 

“I’d wait forever for you, Jesse.”

 

“Oh, now you’re just being a sap.”

 

They kissed on the lips this time. The women around them let out “Aww!” while a few of the men wolf-whistled. When they finally broke apart again, Reuben gave Lukas an annoyed prod with his snout.

 

“Now how could I forget you, Reuben?” Lukas laughed. He pulled something out of his pocket and held it out to the pig. “You want a carrot, buddy?”

 

Reuben oinked as he munched on the carrot. He rubbed his nose into Lukas’ palm in thanks before heading over to a shady spot next to the book table. Lukas glanced with wide eyes at the long line waiting for him.

 

“I think I’m still going to be here for a while,” he said, returning to his seat. “These books won’t sign themselves.”

 

“That’s what you get for writing a bestseller,” Jesse teased. She took the seat next to him. “I’m just here to keep you company.”

 

And so, she did. Reuben climbed onto the table and started playing around with the ink for Lukas’ quill. He made some pretty interested artwork with his hoof-painting on some of the unused parchment. Jesse shook her head at the little pig’s behavior. At least he wasn’t trying to sign any of the books with a hoofprint.

 

The excitement about Jesse’s appearance died down quickly, and the crowd soon turned their attention back to Lukas and his novel. It was a sort of a speculative fiction, using all the people he knew as the characters.

 

In the book, Jesse and Reuben live in a treehouse with their friends Axel and Olivia. They have a sort of small rivalry with Lukas and his friends. Petra is the loner mercenary type who would get resources for people for payment. During a special celebration of heroes, they get roped into an adventure fighting a giant monster called the Witherstorm. Over the course of the adventure, the team overcomes obstacles, makes friends, fight monsters, and travel to amazing places. At the climax, Jesse ends up slaying the Witherstorm.

 

The Witherstorm was not completely out of reality. Lukas based this fictional creature on a monster that the real-world Ivor accidentally created. He was messing around with soul sand and some wither skulls Petra had brought back from this place she explored and dubbed the Nether. The monster he crafted had caused some pretty serious damage. Houses were burned down and roads were destroyed, but Jesse, Isa and Reginald managed to subdue it. It had given Jesse nightmares for weeks. To her annoyance, it was the perfect inspiration for the main foe in Lukas’ novel.

 

It was a couple of hours before the line disappeared and the book fans scattered. Lukas finally put down his quill and shook out his hand.

 

“Man, the things I do for the fans,” he joked, nursing his wrist. “I’ve got a cramp.”

 

“Let me see.”

 

Jesse took his right hand into hers, opening his finger to get access to his palm. She carefully kneaded her thumbs into his palm and wrist, massaging smoothly but firmly any knots she came across. Lukas sighed as the soreness and tightness faded away. He couldn’t help but grin at the sight of her left hand, and the ring that sparkled on her ring finger.

 

“What are you smiling at?” she asked.

 

“Just thinking about how fortunate I am.”

 

Jesse rolled her eyes. “Uh-huh. Sure you are.”

 

“Seriously, my book’s done great and I get to be married to you,” he said. “How did I get so lucky?”

 

Reuben oinked from their feet, clearly in a tone that said he agreed that Lukas was a lucky man. Jesse’s cheeks pinked.

 

“Actually, I do need to tell you something…”

 

There was a cough that interrupted their mooning over each other. Jesse glanced up to see Ivor standing there, a potion bottle in his hand. The liquid inside was a deep red color. He smirked at their flirting and raised an eyebrow.

 

“I can come back tomorrow if it’s too much trouble,” he offered.

 

“No, no. It’s fine,” Jesse responded, dropping Lukas’ hand. “What’s up, Ivor?”

 

“Your mother asked me to deliver this to you.” He sat the potion on the table.

 

Jesse didn’t hesitate in grabbing the potion and taking it. She was a bit perplexed by the familiar taste of fiery spice she knew came from blaze powder.

 

“Potion of Strength?” She tilted her head. “Mother thought I’d need this?”

 

“She said you might need the energy.”

 

“Strength? Energy?” Lukas echoed, looking at Jesse with a furrowed brow. “Are you sick?”

 

“No, I’m fine. Don’t worry.” She gave him a few pats on his shoulder. “You know Mother is always concerned about me.”

 

He snickered. “Some things never change, huh?”

 

There was another cough from Ivor. This time, when the pair looked at him, he slid a copy of Lukas’ novel towards the writer. By the looks of the cover and the yellowing pages, it was well worn.

 

“This is a book signing, isn’t it?” Ivor asked.

 

“You actually have a copy of his book?” Jesse asked with a wide smile. Lukas took the book and picked up his quill again. Reuben let out a string of snorts that was his version of a laugh.

 

“Don’t go getting any funny ideas, blonde guy,” Ivor sneered as Lukas scribbled his signature on the inside of the book cover. “This isn’t because I like you or anything.”

 

By this point in his life, Lukas was quite used to Ivor’s strange way of expressing his fondness for someone. In response, all Lukas did was smirk as he closed the book and slid it back to Ivor.

 

“No. Of course not.”

 

Ivor did nothing but humph as he picked up his book and headed his own way. Lukas turned back to Jesse with worried eyes.

 

“Are you sure you’re all right?” He looked pointedly at the empty potion bottle. “You don’t normally need a potion.”

 

“Seriously, Lukas. I’m fine!” Jesse insisted. She jumped up and grabbed his arm, pulling him to his feet. “What I am is hungry!”

 

Reuben gave a loud oink in agreement.

 

Lukas laughed. “I guess I better feed you then.”

 

Milo’s restaurant/inn wasn’t far from the bookshop. It wasn’t on the main street of Beacontown, but it was on one of the more popular offshoot roads. The building itself, for some reason, always made Jesse feel right at home. Why? It was built exactly like his old inn had been back in Sky City. It wasn’t as run down, but the basic shape, number of floors, and decorations were basically the same. The only exceptions were more space was for tables and there was a slightly larger kitchen.

 

For all of Milo’s good points, he wasn’t very creative when it came to building design. He was a great builder and a great crafter, but he wasn’t someone Jesse would go to for floor plans for a new house. Jesse didn’t mind this though. It was actually nice to see something that still reminded her of her old home, even though she relished in the Beacontown’s newer architecture.

 

Jesse took a deep breath when she walked into the restaurant. She let out a sigh as she relished in the smell that emanated from the kitchen. Mushroom stew, potatoes, cake…even the meat-based foodstuffs like rabbit stew and cooked salmon, which Jesse wouldn’t touch, smelled wonderful! It was like walking straight into a home kitchen, but with a lot more people.

 

Speaking of which, it came as no surprise to Jesse that Milo’s restaurant was packed that day. It was one of the most popular places to eat in Beacontown after all. Some people would even forgo cooking for themselves in favor of eating only Milo’s cuisine. The furnace stations around Beacontown Jesse had insisted on building were still used, but not as much as she expected.

 

Jesse wasn’t about to complain though. The smell alone was enough to make people hungry.

 

“Lukas! Jesse!” Philippe called as he ran over from the ordering counter. “We were hoping you would come today!”

 

“Come on, Philippe!” Lukas said. “I told you we’d stop by.”

 

“Yeah,” Jesse agreed. “Where else would we get the best food in town on Founding Day?”

 

Philippe nodded with a grin. “Your dad saved your usual table.”

 

“I keep telling Dad he doesn’t need to do that if someone else wants that table,” Lukas muttered. He and Jesse followed Philippe anyway.

 

“Their table” was right next to the fireplace, in the corresponding spot where Jesse had first met Milo. It also allowed for a great view of the rest of the dining room, right up to the windows that allowed everyone to see outside. The crackles of the fire were always a comfort to Jesse. There had never been fireplaces in Sky City’s palace, and she enjoyed the warmth and light it provided.

 

Jesse and Lukas had barely sat down before Milo bounced over to them. He still wore his trademark suspenders and beret when he was out. Once he was in the kitchen, Milo would trade them out for an apron and a white chef’s hat. Jesse always thought he looked adorable in that getup. When she told him so, Milo simply blushed.

 

“Well, if it isn’t two of my favorite people,” Milo declared. He immediately gave his son a hug before pulling Jesse tightly to him to do the same. At Reuben’s slighted oink, Milo bend down and gave the little pig scratches behind both ears. “And my favorite pig, of course. It’s great to see you all.”

 

“Hi, Dad.” Lukas glanced around the restaurant. “What was that about not needing my help today?”

 

Milo shrugged. “And have you miss your own book signing? What kind of father would I be if I did that?"

 

“It was a very successful book signing, by the way,” Jesse informed him, making her husband flush. “I think I counted four hundred people in the few hours I was there.”

 

“Four hundred? Really?” Milo smiled at his son. “That’s pretty impressive.”

 

Lukas rubbed the back of his head and kept his gaze to the ground, but Jesse could see he was pleased.

 

“Well, it is certainly appropriate that I have these for your meal.” Milo reached into his inventory and pulled out two items. “Enjoy!”

 

“Dad! We haven’t even ordered yet! How do you know what we…” Lukas trailed off as he saw what was his father was holding. “Dad, is that a golden apple?"

 

Jesse laughed as Milo placed the item on the plates sitting on the table. “And I take it the baked potato is for me?”

 

“You guess correctly, Jesse,” Milo said, putting his hands on his hips and straighten his back. “Only the best for my boy and his lady.”

 

Milo glanced down at Reuben with a grin. The pig raised his eyebrows in anticipation.

 

“Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten about you.” Milo pulled out a large bowl full of carrots. Reuben’s jaw dropped and he stared as the human placed the bowl on the ground for him. It was almost as if he couldn’t believe that many carrots were for him! “These are from the garden, Reuben. Hope you enjoy!”

 

“Dad, how much gold did you use to make this?” Lukas didn’t sit. He just kept shaking his head at his father. “How much did this cost?”

 

“It’s Founding Day, Lukas.” Lukas put both hands on Lukas’ shoulders. “It’s a special occasion. The town’s doing great, the people are happy, and my son is a successful writer. Why shouldn’t I spoil you a little bit?”

 

It went unsaid that Milo wished he could have spoiled Lukas more when he was younger.

 

“Come on, Lukas,” Jesse said as she took her seat. “Let’s eat before it gets cold.”

 

Lukas shrugged in surrender, but the grin didn’t fall from his face as he sat to eat as well. Milo and Philippe went off to attend to the other customers. Lukas and Jesse enjoyed their meal, talking about everything and nothing at all in between bites. Lukas finished his meal first, since it was smaller and he was always the faster eater of the two. He decided on cracking jokes to make Jesse laugh, which only slowed her eating further.

 

“Lukas, you’re going to make me spout water from my nose!” she chortled when she finally finished the last of her baked potato.

 

“Can I help it if I’m a funny guy?” he asked. He wiped Jesse’s face with a napkin. “Or maybe I just like your laugh.”

 

“You’re making me blush.”

 

“I like that too.”

 

Jesse cleared her throat and glanced at the clock on the wall. “We better get going. I told Mother we’d be at the beacon in time for her speech.”

 

“And Olivia and Axel’s fireworks display,” Lukas reminded her. “I’m looking forward to that.”

 

They said their goodbyes to Milo and Philippe before leaving the restaurant and heading for the main square. More people were gathering in the area, leaving the streets relatively bare. There were still citizens around, enjoying the different booths and food, but they were much fewer than when Jesse first left the mansion. This gave Jesse a little more breathing room during the walk.

 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Lukas asked, still worried by her behavior.

 

“You’re starting to sound like my mother, Lukas.” Jesse shook her head in amusement. “I’ve just got something on my mind.”

 

“What?” He took her hands in his. “Is something wrong? Can I help?”

 

“You’re so sweet, Lukas.” She paused to take a deep breath. “I do need to tell you something. I…”

 

She trailed off as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Pulling her hands out of Lukas’ grasp, she grabbed her diamond sword out of her inventory and spun around. She parried the sword coming down on her just in time, stopping it mere inches from her face. Reuben let out a loud squeal in surprise and jumped back. Jesse pushed on the other sword wielder to force them away. Lukas let out a shout before freezing.

 

“Petra?!” he yelled.

 

The redhead in question simply laughed as she sheathed her blade. “Glad to see you remember how to use your sword. I was worried all that paperwork was making you rusty.”

 

“Don’t scare me like that!” Jesse went and gave her friend a hug anyway.

 

“I thought you were out on your latest exploration?” Lukas said, taking his turn to hug Petra after Jesse released her.

 

“Yeah, you said you weren’t going to be back for a while,” Jesse recalled.

 

“I did promise to do my best to be back in time for Founding Day,” Petra reminded them as Reuben began prancing around her. “And here I am. It’s great to see you too.”

 

“So what did you bring back this time?” Lukas inquired.

 

Petra shrugged. “What makes you think I’ve brought anything?”

 

“Because you always do,” Jesse proclaimed, hands on her hips. “Come on! Spill!”

 

The redhead smirked. She reached into her inventory and pulled out a strange, round ball. It was similar to a slime ball, only it swirled with a strange red and yellow powder, almost like a snow globe. Even from a distance, Jesse could feel heat emanating from the sphere. She also noticed that Petra was careful to only hold the ball with a gloved hand.

 

“What in the world is that?” Lukas asked, tilting his head as he watched the orange colors churn around the green.

 

“It’s a magma cream,” Jesse informed him.

 

“Fresh from the Nether,” Petra explained. Reuben hopped onto his haunches so he was tall enough to give the ball a sniff. “I found this new monster. Big, dark cube thing with red eyes. It dropped this when I killed it.”

 

“Magma cube. Benedict didn’t lay many of those spawn eggs,” Jesse commented. “Be careful with it. It’ll burn you if it touches your skin.”

 

Reuben dropped back to the ground at that.

 

“Oh, I’m careful with it all right.” Petra quickly put the magma cream back in her inventory, where it was safe. “Thought Ivor could probably use it.”

 

“It’s good for Potion of Fire Resistance,” Jesse explained. “That’ll be nice the next time you go to the Nether, with all that lava.”

 

“So you went to the Nether _again_?” Lukas slumped his shoulders. “I can’t believe you go down there all the time. That place is awful.”

 

True enough, Lukas never set foot through one of the portals into the Nether that Petra had found. Not after the first time he went down there anyway. After that single journey, he swore he would never go to the Nether again.

 

“It’s not that bad if you’re prepared to go down there, Lukas,” Petra debated. “I can take you sometime and show you—”

 

“No.”

 

“But it’s not—”

 

“No!”

 

Petra rolled her eyes. “Okay. Chicken.”

 

“Petra!” Axel voice boomed through the crowd as the large man sprinted over and grabbed her around the waist. He lifted her up and off her feet in a tight hug, forcing a yelp of surprise out of her. “You’re back!”

 

“Good to see you too, big guy.” Petra had to wait another minute before Axel released her. When he did, she let out a sigh before giving him a peck on his cheek. “Miss me much?"

 

“Very much,” Olivia commented, having joined the group. “He wouldn’t shut up about you.”

 

“I can’t help it,” Axel admitted. “You’re off doing awesome stuff in the world, discovering all sorts of new things.”

 

“You got to admit,” Jesse added. “It’s pretty sweet being you, Petra.”

 

Reuben oinked in concurrence, giving the redhead a nod.

 

Petra paused before speaking again. “You know, you guys could come with me.”

 

Axel’s eyes went wide. “Seriously?!”

 

“Seriously,” Petra repeated. “It’d be fun to explore with you guys. All of you.”

 

“It would be nice change of pace,” said Olivia.

 

“I haven’t been on an adventure in ages!” Jesse declared. “And you’re right. I don’t want to get rusty with my sword skills.”

 

“Then it’s a plan!” Lukas concurred. “As long as it doesn’t involve going to the Nether?”

 

Petra chuckled. “No, Lukas. We don’t have to go to the Nether.”

 

“Attention, everyone! Attention!” Reginald announced from atop the beacon. He waved his arms to get everyone’s attention. “May I have your attention please! Isa has a few words for you tonight!”

 

“I really like that your mom doesn’t call herself The Founder anymore,” Lukas commented. “Makes her more personable.”

 

“Yeah.” Jesse grinned and put her hands on her hips. “That was my idea.”

 

“I also really like that she listens to you more and more,” he continued.

 

“Good evening, people of Beacontown! Happy Founding Day!” Isa announced, having taken Reginald’s place on the beacon to address the crowd. “Today marks the second year since our fall from Sky City and the founding of Beacontown!”

 

There was a swell of applause at this simple statement. Isa went on to discuss some of their successes over the past year. This included how many buildings they had created and all the new things they had discovered about the new world. A lot of this Jesse was already familiar with, being part of the trio of leaders for Beacontown. She didn’t mean to tune out her mother, but she didn’t need to hear this again.

 

During her mother’s speech, Reuben gave out a low snort. Following the pig’s gaze, Jesse found herself eyeing Aiden in the crowd a few meters away. He jumped and immediately ducked out of sight. Jesse shook her head at his behavior, while Reuben dug his hooves into the ground. At the feeling of someone taking her hand, she glanced away from Aiden’s previous spot to look at Lukas.

 

“You’ve seen him around too, huh?” he asked.

 

Jesse didn’t need to ask whom he was referring to. “He never comes up to me, but I’ve spotted him a few times.”

 

Following his disastrous attempt at a coup two years ago, Aiden and his supporters were promptly put in jail…after a jail had been built. They spent over a year-and-a-half in prison. Some of the ones who displayed good behavior, like Gill and Maya were released earlier with the promise of community service. Even with this, a few of the former prisoners broke their oath and left Beacontown immediately, community service orders or not. Hadrian and Mevia hadn’t been seen in over a year.

 

Being the leader of the coup, Aiden was denied this offer, and had only been released from prison a few months ago. It had been Lukas who asked for a shorter sentence for him, even after everything Aiden had done. Lukas claimed he didn’t want to put his former friend through what his father had gone through, even for a much greater crime. Aiden took this act of mercy with a bowed head. Even after he was finally freed, he went out of his way to never cross paths with anyone in a position of power. Especially Lukas and Jesse.

 

“Do you ever miss him?” Jesse asked.

 

Lukas scratched his chin, where a small patch of stubble had started to grow. He seemed to contemplate this as Isa’s voice continued to broadcast statistics and encouragement in the background.

 

“I think I miss the friendship we once had,” he confessed. “I don’t know if I miss him in particular.”

 

“Yeah,” she sighed. “I know what you mean.”

 

“…And so, I wish to congratulate you all on work well done, and I hope the next year is as wonderful!” Isa finished her speech. Jesse jumped a little. She completely missed it. “Now, as the sun has finally set, it’s time for our newest display of innovation!”

 

“That’s our cue!” Olivia declared. She waved to Axel. “Come on! We’re supposed to start the fireworks display!”

 

With a beaming smile, Axel grabbed Petra’s hand. “You’ve got to see what Jesse, Olivia and I made!”

 

“Okay! Okay! Slow down!” Petra demanded, but with jest in her tone. “I’m right behind you! You don’t have to drag me!”

 

Jesse and Lukas laughed as they moved through the crowd to get a closer look at the statue. Lukas whistled.

 

“You guys built this zombie?”

 

“Before I met up with you today, yeah,” Jesse confirmed. “The best part’s coming.”

 

There was a small pause as everyone waited for the show to begin. Jesse could hear many of the citizens complimenting the build and the accuracy of the zombie. It was certainly getting attention, which is what the three of them had been shooting for. The oohs and ahhs that followed the first fireworks were more than Jesse could have hoped for. The applause that followed as the show continued was a bit of a surprise, but a welcome one.

 

Jesse spotted Olivia grinning wildly, throwing her hands up in the air in triumph. Petra and Axel were kissing underneath the flashing lights, ignoring everyone around them. Reuben sat up so he could watch the fireworks at a better angle, and the sparkles reflected in his happy eyes. Ivor was standing a little ways off, next to one of the darker alleys, but if she looked hard enough, Jesse could see the amusement in his face. Milo and Philippe joined the crowd and were applauding at the display as well. Isa had hopped down from the beacon to stand next to Reginald, who took her hand in his with a firm grip. Jesse smiled at them.

 

Lukas folded his arms around Jesse’s waist, pulling her against him so her back pressed against his chest. Jesse sighed lightly and leaned into the embrace. She reached up to run a hand over his blonde hair, and she felt a ripple of movement as he snickered.

 

“You always like playing with my hair, don’t you?”

 

“I can’t help it. You have excellent hair.” She paused for effect. “I really hope my baby has your hair.”

 

There was a pause as he took in this information. “Your what?”

 

Jesse turned around in his arms so she could look straight into his bright blue eyes. She took his hand and placed it against her stomach.

 

“Our baby.”

 

Lukas stared at her with a slack jaw for several seconds before it slowly morphed into a huge smile. She could see his eyes shining with joy as the news finally began to sink in.

 

“You’re pregnant?”

 

“I found out yesterday,” she admitted. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you.”

 

He stared back and forth between her eyes, letting out small guffaws as he tried to catch his breath.

 

“You’re really…we’re having a baby?” Lukas covered his mouth with a hand when Jesse nodded. He sputtered as he tried to formulate words. “Have you told anyone else?”

 

“No, I wanted to tell you first.” Jesse smirked. “Although, I think Mother’s figured it out. She made a comment earlier kind of about how I’m eating for two now.”

 

“So, _that’s_ what the Potion of Strength was for.” Lukas’ face jerked. “Did you get enough at dinner?”

 

“Lukas.”

 

“Okay, okay. Sorry.” His smile remained on his face. Lukas placed both of his palms on her cheeks, holding her face and rubbing her nose with his thumb. “I just…I can’t believe it."

 

Jesse laughed. “That’s kind of how I felt when I first found out.”

 

“I’m going to be a dad! We’re having a baby!” He couldn’t stop himself. Lukas lifted Jesse up by her waist and spun her around. Once he placed her back on her feet, Lukas pulled her face towards his and gave Jesse a deep kiss. “Our baby. I _really_ like the sound of that.”

 

Jesse shared his smile. “I do too.”

 

“Best Founding Day ever!”

 

She gave him another kiss. “Happy Founding Day, Lukas.”

 

“Happy Founding Day, Jesse.”


End file.
